Image alt text that helps people (not keyword spam)

Short answer: Alt text describes the image’s function—decorative images should be marked decorative; informative images get concise truthful descriptions, not 20 location keywords.

Alt spam can annoy screen-reader users and looks manipulative to search quality systems.

Write alt like a caption, not SEO soup

• Product shots: colour, distinguishing features, context.
• Charts: summarise the point in text nearby too.
• Team photos: only name people if relevant and approved.

When alt is empty

Pure decoration or redundant adjacent text may warrant null alt—verify case by case.

SEO alignment

Good alt supports image search relevance naturally; stuffing risks harm.

Frequently asked questions