Book Brew 142: The Overlooked SEO & Accessibility Boost Hiding in Your Images

Imagine scrolling through a post where every image is just a blank box. That’s what screen reader users experience without alt text.

In one of my previous posts, I talked about the use of emojis and how they impact screen readers.  Another aspect of accessibility in online content is the use of alt text for images.

Alternative text (alt text) is necessary for all meaningful images (well, it should be required, but many times people post without filling it out). It helps to ensure content is accessible to people using screen readers and helps all users understand visual information when images don’t load (while this doesn’t happen as often anymore, things still break so having that alt text there is useful for when it does happen).

Bonus reason to use it: alt text is indexed by search engines, like Google, and can help to boost your website.

Harvard’s Quick Rules for Better Alt Text

I found a great resource from Harvard about how best to write alt text: https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/describe-content-images 

“Clarity is the key to effective communication.” – Robert Cialdini

A few rules they mention: 

• Write what the image shows and what it does, in the context of your content.
• Keep it concise and relevant.
• Alt text should typically be under 125 characters. Focus on what’s essential to understand the image in context.
• Do not include phrases like “image of” or “graphic of.” 
• Screen readers already announce that an image is present, so avoid something like “Image of a woman smiling.” Rather, use“Woman smiling at a computer screen during a webinar.”
• Mark decorative images appropriately.
• Complex images require more than alt text.
• For linked images, describe the destination or function (the alt text should describe the action or result of clicking).

Where Alt Text Belongs (Hint: Everywhere There are Images)

• Website images
• Social media images
• Ebooks
• Anywhere images are used and the ability to add alt text is available

Alt Text Fails to Avoid

• Writing alt text like a caption
• Stuffing keywords
• Describing irrelevant details (e.g., “blue sky” when the point is a protest sign)

Example:

Instead of “Image of a silly dog,” try “Dog wearing sunglasses while typing on a laptop.”

Not all platforms have the ability to include alt text when images are present (Typeshare is one of those that I currently use and have placed a feature request with them to change it).  But if the platform you are using does have it, you should be using it.

AI Bonus Tip: Unsure what to write? Upload your image into ChatGPT and then prompt it with this: "Write the alt text for this image using the Harvard guidelines shown here: https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/describe-content-images"

Ponder This

1. If someone couldn’t see your images, would your post still make sense?
2. Do you tend to write alt text for humans, for Google, or both?
3. What’s the worst (or funniest) alt text fail you’ve ever come across?

Books/Newsletters

• Influence - Robert Cialdini