Image alt text: how to describe the photos on your website

Google does not see photos the way you do. Neither does a screen reader. To know what an image shows, they read a short sentence hidden in the code: the alternative text, or "alt". Without it, the photo is a blank to them.

What image alt text is for

• Accessibility. Blind and partially sighted people browse with software that reads the page aloud. When it reaches a photo, it reads the alt text. By contrast, without it they hear "image" or the file name: "IMG_4382.jpg".
• Google Images. Besides, plenty of people search with images: a haircut, a dish, a renovation. That is why alt text helps your photos appear there and send people to your website.
• Context for Google and AI. A photo of your premises with "Reception of the dental clinic on Station Road" confirms what the page is about and where you are.
• If the image fails to load on a poor connection, the browser shows that text instead.

How to write good alt text

Imagine describing it to someone on the phone, in one sentence:

• What is shown and what matters. "Physiotherapist treating a runner's knee on a treatment table."
• Specific. For example, "Cheesecake with red berries" beats "dessert".
• Short. One sentence, usually under 125 characters.
• No "image of" or "photo of". The screen reader already says it is an image.
• Your business words where they fit, not forced. If the photo is your shop in Lisbon, say so. But if it is a cup of coffee, do not add "lawyer in Lisbon".

When to leave image alt text empty

Some images are pure decoration: a line, a background texture, an icon next to text that already says the same. Those get an empty alt on purpose, so the screen reader skips them instead of boring the listener.

In short, the rule: if removing the image would lose information, it needs alt text. If nothing is lost, leave it empty.

Special cases

• Logo: the business name. "Movement Clinic", not "logo".
• An image that is a link: describe where it goes. "See the restaurant menu."
• An image with text in it (a poster, an offer): the alt text repeats what it says. Better still, put that text on the page as real text.
• Portfolio galleries: each photo with what it shows. That is what gets a photographer or hairdresser into Google Images.

Common mistakes when describing images

• Leaving the file name.
• The same text on every photo.
• Using it to stuff in a list of keywords.
• Describing a purely decorative image in detail.

How I do it

On Nueva Página websites every image has alt text written for it, and decorative ones are marked as such. Photos are also optimised to load fast, as explained in photos for your website. All of this is part of the basic SEO in every plan.

How to check the image alt text on your website

You do not need to code. Right-click a photo, choose "Inspect" and look for `alt=`: whatever is in quotes is its alt text. If an important photo has it empty, or it says something like "IMG_4382", it needs changing. In addition, free browser extensions show the description of every image at once.

To write it well, the W3C has a tutorial on accessible images with examples of each case. And Google explains in its image best practices how it uses that text. Finally, if your photos are heavy, also check photos for your website. A photo without alt text is a photo Google does not understand.

Frequently asked questions

Is it the same as a caption?

No. Everybody sees a caption under the image. Only screen readers and search engines read alt text.

Do I have to write it myself?

If you tell me what each photo shows, even better: you know the context. If not, I write it and show it to you.

Does it affect rankings?

Mostly in Google Images. In normal search it is a small signal, but it adds up with everything else.

Will my website have alt text for every photo?

Yes. On Nueva Página websites every image has its own, and decorative ones are marked as such. It is part of the basic SEO in the cost calculator plans.