Why Alt Image Tags Matter
Lindsey Blanchard • February 6, 2023
Images are an integral part of your website design and the user experience. They make your site more visually appealing while also offering context clues and other important information about the content of the page. Likewise, these images can also provide important context to search engines and be a useful component of search engine optimization (SEO).
Alt image tags, also known as “alt tags” or “alt descriptions,” are used to describe images and provide additional information about them for the benefit of both users and search engines. Let's take a look at exactly why alt tags are so important and how they can boost your website's performance.
Why Alt Image Tags are Important for SEO
- Accessibility: Alt tags provide alternative text for users who may not be able to see the images on a website. For example, visually impaired users who use screen readers to browse the web rely on alt tags to understand the content of images. By providing descriptive alt tags, you ensure that everyone can access the information on your website, regardless of their ability to see images.
- Improved User Experience: Alt tags provide a brief description of images, which can enhance the user experience by providing additional context and information. They can also help users to quickly identify the content of an image, even if it fails to load.
- Better Indexing: Search engines like Google use alt tags to understand the content of images and to determine their relevance to search queries. By providing descriptive and relevant alt tags, you help search engines to better index your images, which can result in improved visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Increased Click-Through Rate: Descriptive alt tags can also increase the click-through rate (CTR) of your images in SERPs. By providing a clear and concise description of the content of an image, you can encourage users to click on your images, which can drive more traffic to your website.
While they may not place as high in the SEO hierarchy as page titles and URLs, alt image tags are still and important part of search engine optimization. By providing descriptive, relevant, and concise alt tags, you can improve the user experience, increase your visibility in SERPs, and boost your website's traffic.
Kingsley Lavender shares what he learned as a marketing intern at BlinkJar Media, including SEO, website updates, content marketing, and real-world agency experience.
Artificial intelligence is changing the way businesses approach content marketing , social media marketing , and digital communications. AI can generate ideas, streamline workflows, and help marketers create content faster than ever before. At Blinkjar, we embrace AI as a powerful tool, but we also know the most impactful marketing still begins with something technology can't replicate: a genuine human connection. As a Creative Content Specialist at Blinkjar , some of my most valuable work happens away from my desk. Meeting with clients, visiting their businesses, and building real relationships gives me a deeper understanding of who they are and what makes their brands unique. Those face-to-face interactions help me create authentic content that reflects each client's personality , values, and story. Can AI Really Tell Your Brand's Story? Every business has a story worth telling . While AI can help organize information, brainstorm ideas, and improve efficiency, it can't experience a company's culture, observe customer interactions, or hear the passion behind why a business was started. That’s why every interaction matters. Whether we’re on a call, exchanging emails, meeting in person, capturing photos and videos, or simply talking through new ideas, each touchpoint helps us better understand the businesses we support. These conversations allow us to see how a brand operates, hear the stories behind the work, and uncover the details that make it unique. Those real insights often become the foundation for stronger content because they reveal perspectives that AI simply can’t generate. How Do Client Conversations Lead to Better Content Marketing? The more time I spend with the businesses we support, the better I can represent their brand. Photoshoots are one way those connections happen, but many of my strongest content ideas come from everyday conversations, planning calls, emails, meetings, and moments when a client shares something we would not have known otherwise. Those small details often become the difference between content that feels generic and content that feels true to the brand. Whether we're discussing a new project, talking through their day-to-day operations, or simply catching up, those conversations give me the context I need to write content that's accurate, authentic, and true to their voice. Instead of relying on assumptions, I can pull directly from their experiences, expertise, and personality . That's what transforms content from informative to meaningful.
There is a growing misconception online that AI is replacing SEO. That is not really what is happening. AI still relies heavily on websites and traditional SEO fundamentals. What is changing is how authority is measured. Technical SEO, content structure, local optimization, and keyword relevance still matter deeply.
