How do you write effective alt text?

Writing effective alt text is crucial for improving accessibility and SEO. Here's a guide on how to craft alt text that serves both purposes:

### **1. Be Descriptive and Specific**

- **Describe the Content**: Clearly describe what the image is about. Avoid vague descriptions and provide context. For example, instead of "dog," use "a golden retriever playing fetch with a red ball in a park."
- **Mention Key Details**: Include significant details that convey the image's context and relevance. For instance, "a woman in a blue dress presenting a product at a trade show" is more informative than "woman at trade show."

### **2. Incorporate Relevant Keywords**

- **Natural Integration**: Use keywords naturally within the description. Keywords should fit seamlessly into the context of the description. For example, "organic apple pie recipe with fresh ingredients" includes relevant keywords without sounding forced.
- **Avoid Keyword Stuffing**: Do not overuse keywords or create unnatural descriptions just for SEO. Alt text should be helpful and relevant rather than just keyword-rich.

### **3. Keep It Concise**

- **Optimal Length**: Aim for brevity while being descriptive. Ideally, alt text should be between 100 and 125 characters. This length is enough to convey the essential information without overwhelming the user.
- **Focus on Key Information**: Highlight the most important aspects of the image. For instance, "a chef preparing sushi rolls in a modern kitchen" provides clear, focused information.

### **4. Avoid Redundancy**

- **Supplement, Don't Repeat**: Ensure that alt text adds value by providing information that is not already in the surrounding text. If the image's content is explained in detail elsewhere on the page, the alt text should complement that information rather than repeat it.
- **Descriptive Function**: For functional images (like buttons or links), describe their purpose. For example, "submit search button" is more useful than "button."

### **5. Skip Decorative Images**

- **Empty Alt Text**: For purely decorative images that do not add meaningful content (e.g., background patterns), use empty alt text (`alt=""`). This tells screen readers to skip the image, preventing unnecessary clutter for users relying on assistive technology.

### **6. Provide Context for Functional Images**

- **Explain the Function**: If an image is a clickable element or has a functional purpose, describe its action. For example, "search icon to initiate search" or "link to product details."

### **7. Use Proper HTML Syntax**

- **Include Alt Text in HTML**: Ensure you correctly implement alt text in your HTML code using the `alt` attribute. For example:
  ```html
  <img src="golden-retriever.jpg" alt="A golden retriever playing fetch with a red ball in a park">
  ```

### **Examples of Effective Alt Text**

1. **Descriptive and Specific**:
   - **Good**: `alt="a young woman reading a book under a tree in a sunny park"`
   - **Reason**: Provides a clear and detailed description of the scene.

2. **Relevant Keywords**:
   - **Good**: `alt="healthy smoothie bowl with fresh fruits and nuts on a wooden table"`
   - **Reason**: Includes relevant keywords naturally.

3. **Functional Image**:
   - **Good**: `alt="download PDF button"`
   - **Reason**: Describes the action associated with the button.

4. **Decorative Image**:
   - **Good**: `alt=""` (for an image of a background pattern)
   - **Reason**: Skips the image for screen readers as it doesn't provide meaningful content.

### **Tools for Checking and Improving Alt Text**

- **SEO Plugins**: Tools like Yoast SEO (for WordPress) provide guidance on optimizing alt text.
- **Accessibility Checkers**: Tools such as WAVE or Axe can help identify missing or ineffective alt text.
- **Content Management Systems**: Many CMS platforms have built-in features to manage and review alt text for images.

By following these guidelines, you can write effective alt text that improves accessibility for users and enhances SEO for better search engine visibility.