Technical & content SEO
Alternative text conveys the relevant meaning or function of an image when the image cannot be seen. The right description depends on context: a product photograph, a diagram, a linked icon, and a decorative flourish do not need the same treatment. Start with the reader's need rather than a keyword quota.
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A missing description can remove important information from an accessible experience. An overloaded one can make navigation exhausting. Search engines also use surrounding context and image information to understand content, so alt text should complement a useful page instead of becoming an unrelated list of phrases attached to every image.
Classify each image by its role on that specific page. Decide whether it supplies information, performs an action, repeats nearby text, or is purely decorative. The same asset can legitimately need different wording in different contexts.
Describe the useful information briefly and naturally. For a product image, mention distinctions visible in that view. For a linked image, make its purpose understandable. Avoid inventing details that cannot be observed or confirmed from the page context.
Use an empty alt value for genuinely decorative images when appropriate. Give complex charts a nearby text explanation or data table rather than placing an entire report in one attribute. Keep captions and surrounding text complementary rather than needlessly repetitive.
Measure the useful things
01
Informative images with accurate contextual alternatives.
02
Decorative images with unnecessary spoken descriptions.
03
Image-only controls whose accessible purpose is unclear.
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Ask GavekNo. Match the alternative to its role. Decorative images often need an empty alt attribute, simple informative images need concise meaning, and complex visuals may need a fuller explanation outside the attribute.
No. A descriptive filename can help organize an asset, but it does not provide the same contextual alternative. Check the actual image element and the surrounding page for the information a visitor needs.
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