Alt text refers to the text “behind” a digital image that describes what the image is depicting. This description is a feature that allows people with visual impairments to understand what is happening in the image and how it is relevant to the rest of the content on the page. While accessibility is its primary purpose, alt text can be a useful tool for optimizing a website for search. Content creators can intersperse keywords that they are hoping to rank for in the alt text. The spiders are then able to catalog the content, giving the creator a better chance of ranking for the desired keyword.
Alt text can be added to images on WordPress. According to SEMrush’s blog, when you select an image on your WordPress website, you can find the alt text feature under the “block” tab. The alt text feature is listed in the “settings” menu.
SEMrush suggests using alt text because it can improve your ranking for Google Images. This can be useful to attract users to your website because many people browse the images tab and follow the links to find relevant web content.
SEMrush recommends only using the alt text feature for images that are relevant to understanding the website’s content and using a null attribute for images that do not relate to the page’s content. This is done to limit confusion when people are reading the alt text. The null attribute must be included because otherwise, the name of the file will be read, and that will take away from the message you are trying to communicate. The blog also warns content creators against confusing alt text with image captions.
In my experience working for the Center for Rural Ministry, I use alt text all the time. Whenever I make an Instagram post, I make sure to write alt text to describe each of the photos and graphics I am posting. Instagram’s alt text feature is pretty intuitive. Any business account can include alt text behind their post before it goes live by clicking the more options tab, then scrolling to the bottom and clicking “Write Alt Text.” The app then displays each of the images that are a part of the post and allows the user to type alt text describing each one of them. I also try to use keywords that I want to rank for in the hashtags of my posts. That way, people searching through hashtags will be able to find CRM content relevant to those hashtags.
2 Responses
Your post has a lot of great information about alt text and how it can benefit your business, and even just yourself if you are using it on a platform like Instagram. I like how you explained how to add alt text on WordPress because a lot of people probably aren’t aware of that feature. I also like how you added a personal touch about how you have used it in your work for the Center for Rural Ministry because it brings into perspective the importance of using alt text and how it has been beneficial for the CRM.
I find this interesting as we apply these contexts to SEO practices. Alt text is very important in context to creating a better keyword search through Google and the use of images, as you are describing here. Personally, I have not utilized this tool very well in my own postings, however, I can understand how it can be very important in the context of site and image rankings. Your personal experience through CRM is a great way to share how that relates to everyday projects as well, especially through an already established business.