Alt Text (Alt Attribute)

Alt text, or alternative text, is an HTML attribute applied to image tags to provide a text-based description of visual content. Search engine crawlers are blind; they rely entirely on alt text to understand the context of an image and how it relates to the surrounding content. Proper alt text optimization is not just an accessibility requirement, it is a massive revenue driver. Optimized images can rank independently in Google Images and Discover, creating an entirely separate channel for organic traffic acquisition. E-commerce sites optimizing alt text have seen traffic increases exceeding 200% from image search alone.

Alt Text Simplified

Alt text is a hidden description attached to the images on your website. Because Google is a computer and cannot actually look at pictures, it reads the alt text to understand what the image is about and decide if it should show up in image search results.