Alt tags, also known as Alt Text or alt attributes, are HTML tags used to provide a text alternative for an image. They provide additional information about the content presented on a website which can be beneficial to accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.
Alt tags are important for websites as they are used to describe the image for the visually impaired; for instance, webpages with images should have a corresponding alt text that accurately describes the image. Alt tags also help search engines to interpret the content of the website better, which may improve the website’s ranking in search results.
When adding an image to a webpage, the alt attribute should always be included with the HTML img tag. The same way you would include an ‘alt’ attribute in an HTML code, you could also have actionable item in a CMS or content management system that allows the user to add an alt tag to the image. Make sure to include an accurate yet concise description of the image; the alt text should be written in natural language that reflects the concept of the image.
One other important aspect of alt tags is that it is used for SEO – it is a way for search engines to determine the meaning and relevance of an image to be displayed in the search results. Your alt text should be concise and contain related keywords to the site’s theme in order to be recognized as relevant to web searches.
Alas, there are times when images should not be given an alt tag, mainly when an image is used purely for aesthetic purposes, such as a decorative image or a background image. In this case, the image should be left blank, or “alt=”, with no words. This will inform the search engine and assistive devices that the image does not provide any information about the page’s content and structure.
Alt tags are an essential part of website optimization and should be considered in every website design. Optimizing images with alt tags will help improve accessibility and visibility of your website to search engines, improving your SEO and helping your website stand out from the crowd.