Website Image Alt Text and SEO Guide

Alternative text is primarily for people who cannot see an image or who are using a context where the image is unavailable. Good alt text explains the image's purpose without turning the attribute into a keyword list.

SEO benefits come from accurate page content and a better experience, not from repeating a phrase in every image attribute.

Describe the useful information

For a meaningful image, identify the subject and relevant context. A service photo might describe the work being shown; a product photo might identify the item and important visible variation.

Use empty text for decoration

Decorative borders, background textures, and images that repeat nearby text can use empty alternative text so assistive technology does not announce unnecessary information. The surrounding content should still explain any important message.

Handle galleries and inventory

Give vehicle, product, project, and staff images distinct descriptions when each image adds information. Avoid labels such as “image 1” or a filename that tells the visitor nothing.

The vehicle photo guide and image optimization checklist cover related inventory and performance work.

Keep text concise

Write enough to convey the purpose, then stop. Do not describe details a visitor cannot use, repeat a caption word for word when it already provides the context, or add marketing claims the image cannot prove.

Audit templates and uploads

Check CMS fields, required states, default values, decorative image handling, responsive images, and user-uploaded content. Include alternative text in the content workflow so it is not left for a final scramble.

The accessibility remediation checklist provides a broader audit.