As a content marketer, email marketer, video marketer, or SEO specialist, you're always looking for ways to improve your website's visibility and engagement. One crucial element that can help you achieve your goals is alt text. In this post, we'll explore the definition of alt text, its importance for different types of digital marketing, and how to write effective alt text. We'll also answer the six most popular questions about alt text.
Alt text (short for alternative text) is a brief description written in HTML code that describes the content of an image. When an image fails to load or cannot be displayed, the alt text appears instead.
Alt text serves several purposes that make it essential for digital marketing:
In content marketing, images are an effective way to attract and engage readers. Alt text helps to ensure that everyone can enjoy your content regardless of their abilities or device limitations. Moreover, by including relevant keywords in your alt text, you can help your content rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Email marketing campaigns often include images to make them more visually appealing. However, some email clients block images by default or require users to manually download them. By using alt text, you can ensure that your message is conveyed even when the images are not visible.
Video marketing relies heavily on visual content to engage viewers. However, not all users can see the videos or may encounter technical issues that prevent them from playing. Alt text can provide a summary of the video's content or describe key moments, making it easier for users to decide whether to watch the video.
As mentioned earlier, alt text can enhance your website's SEO by providing search engines with information about your images. This helps search engines understand the context and relevance of your content, which can improve your rankings in SERPs.
Here are some tips for writing effective alt text: