Image optimization for search engines is vital to your SEO. This is especially true for those in photography. You might have a great photography website. But, if it’s not optimized for search engines, potential clients may never find it. This article will focus on a small but vital part of image optimization: writing good alt text. Alt text can improve your ranking in image search results. It can also drive more traffic to your site and boost your SEO.
What is Alt Text?
Alt text, short for alternative text, describes an image you add to your website’s HTML code. The text describes the image’s content for search engines and screen readers. Search engines can’t “see” images like humans. They rely on alt text to understand what each image is. This makes it easier to create an accurate index of your site’s images for them.
Why is Alt Text Important?
1. Improved Image Search Visibility
Images with good alt text are more likely to appear in image search results on platforms like Google. Since images make up many searches, optimize your alt text. It can lead to a large increase in the traffic to your site.
2. Enhanced SEO performance
Search engines see optimized images as a sign of SEO friendliness. This improves website rankings. More traffic from image search results proves that your content is valuable.
3. Better Accessibility
Alt text also plays a crucial role in web accessibility. It helps screen readers describe images to the visually impaired. This enhances the inclusivity and usability of your website.
How to Write Good Alt Text for Images?
To improve your images’ SEO and accessibility, follow these alt-text tips:
1. Define Your Goals
The purpose of your image should guide how you write its alt text. For example, If you’re a sports photographer showcasing action moments from tennis matches, your alt text should reflect that. Describe your image to highlight your style or focus in sports photography.
Example
Rather than a generic description like “A tennis ball in the net,” you could say, “Dynamic sports photography capturing a tennis ball dramatically stuck in the net during a heated match.”
If this image is part of your sports portfolio, emphasize the intensity or moment. Your alt text could be: “High-energy shot of a tennis ball caught in the net during a competitive match.”
List all possibilities, and depending on your goals, decide which to emphasize.
2. Add relevant keywords.
Using relevant keywords in your alt text helps search engines. It helps them understand your image’s context. Use keywords that your target audience is likely to search for. Avoid keyword stuffing; instead, focus on making the description natural and concise.
Example. If you’re a family photographer specializing in capturing joyful moments of children, your alt text should reflect that. Instead of a generic description like “A toddler playing,” you could say, “Charming lifestyle photography featuring an adorable toddler playing with a toy car on a cozy bed, radiating joy and curiosity.”
If this image is part of your family portfolio, emphasize the warmth and connection. Your alt text could be: “Delightful shot of a happy toddler enjoying playtime, perfect for showcasing the essence of childhood.”
List all possibilities, and based on your goals, decide what aspects to emphasize.
3. Describe the image in detail.
Your alt text should give a clear and accurate description of what is in the image. Imagine you are explaining the image to someone who can’t see it. Use simple, straightforward language to describe the image’s main features.
Example: Instead of saying “an image of a lake,” try “a peaceful landscape of a lake surrounded by autumn trees.”
4. Keep it short.
Alt text should contain approximately 125 characters or fewer. Make the description brief but informative. Focus on the image’s key elements. Avoid using phrases like “image of” or “picture of,” as they are unnecessary.
Example:
Let’s say that you’re in the food business, and you specialize in breakfast dishes. In this case, the ingredients become more important, and you would want to mention them in your alt text. Instead of a generic description like “A plate of waffles,” be more specific. Try, “An appetizing breakfast of waffles with blueberries and maple syrup.”
If you were to show this image in your food photography portfolio, it would be a different story. In that case, you may want to highlight the photography style, like food photography. “Beautiful food photography of waffles with blueberries and syrup.” List all options. Then, decide what is most important to mention based on your goals.
Additional Tips for Image SEO
Alt text is one aspect of image optimization. To further improve your image SEO, consider these additional tips:
1. Optimize image file names.
Use descriptive file names with relevant keywords before uploading images to your website. For example, instead of naming a file “IMG1234.jpg,” use “sunset-wedding-photo.jpg.”
2. Use captions.
Image captions are a great way to provide additional context for your images. Captions don’t affect SEO as much as alt text. But, they improve user experience, a ranking factor.
3. Compress Your Images
Large image files can slow down your website. This hurts your SEO, as page speed is critical. Use an image compression tool to reduce file size without compromising quality.
Conclusion
Writing SEO-friendly alt text is a small step that can significantly enhance visibility. It can improve your site’s visibility, accessibility, and SEO. Define your goals. Use relevant keywords. Describe the image with precision while maintaining brevity. This will create alt text that helps both search engines and users. These best practices will ensure your images boost your site’s SEO. They will also help your audience find your content.
By optimizing your images and using alt text, your website can rank higher in search results. This will attract more traffic and clients to your photography business.