What is alt text?
Alt text is a short written description attached to an image in HTML, read aloud by screen readers and shown in place of the image when it fails to load.
Does your site get alt text right?
I’ll run a quick accessibility pass and send the issues most likely to block real visitors, free.
In plain English
It’s set with the alt attribute on an image. Good alt text describes what the image contributes in that spot, not every visual detail. The same photo might need different alt text on a portfolio page than on a team page.
Decorative images, like a background texture, should have an empty alt="" so screen readers skip them. Images that act as links or buttons should describe where they go or what they do, such as “Home” for a linked logo.
Why it matters for a small business
For blind visitors, alt text is the image. For search engines and AI tools, it’s one of the clearest signals of what a photo shows. Projects, products and team members without it are invisible to both.
An example
A Calgary custom home builder’s gallery has images named “IMG_4471.jpg” with no alt text. Rewritten, one reads “Two-storey modern farmhouse in Aspen Woods with black window frames and cedar soffits.” A screen reader user now knows what the builder makes, and search engines know which project it is. (More for custom home builders.)
Common mistakes
Where I see alt text go wrong most often.
Starting every description with “Image of” or “Picture of”, which screen readers already announce.
Stuffing alt text with keywords like “Calgary home builder best custom homes Calgary”.
Publishing posters or flyers as images with the important text only inside the picture.
Alt text, answered
Usually a short sentence. Long enough to convey what matters about the image in that context, short enough to listen to comfortably.
Yes. It helps search engines understand images, which matters for image search and for the page’s overall relevance. Write it for people first.
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- nick@tavro.ca
- 587-439-9994
- Calgary, Alberta