Images are a powerful part of any web page, but Google cannot see them the way humans do. Instead, search engines rely on the alt tag, also called alt text, to understand what an image shows. Adding proper alt tags to your images for Google SEO improves your chances of ranking in image search, strengthens the relevance of your pages, and makes your site more accessible to visually impaired users. This guide walks you through exactly how to add alt tags and how to write them well.

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What Is an Alt Tag

An alt tag is an HTML attribute added to an image element that describes the content of the image in words. It serves three main purposes. First, it tells search engines what the image depicts so they can rank it appropriately. Second, it is read aloud by screen readers, making your content accessible. Third, it displays as fallback text if the image fails to load. A good alt tag is concise, descriptive, and relevant to both the image and the page.

How to Add Alt Tags in WordPress

Adding alt tags in WordPress is straightforward. When you upload an image to the media library, a panel appears with fields for title, caption, description, and alternative text. Simply type your description into the alternative text field. If you are using the block editor, click the image block, open the settings sidebar, and you will find the alt text field there as well.

For images already published, open the page in the editor, select the image, and update the alt text field. You can also edit alt text directly in the media library by clicking any image and filling in the alternative text box. WordPress then automatically outputs the alt attribute in your page HTML.

How to Add Alt Tags in HTML

If you work with raw HTML, you add the alt attribute directly inside the image tag. The attribute sits alongside the source attribute and contains your descriptive text in quotation marks. Every meaningful image on your site should include this attribute. For purely decorative images that carry no information, you can use an empty alt value so screen readers skip them, which is also a valid accessibility practice.

Best Practices for Writing Alt Text

Effective alt text is specific and natural. Describe what is actually in the image rather than stuffing keywords. For example, instead of writing a vague label, describe the subject, action, and context clearly. Keep it under roughly 125 characters so screen readers can process it comfortably. Include your target keyword only when it genuinely fits the image, and never repeat the same keyword across every image on a page.

Avoid starting with phrases like image of or picture of, because search engines and screen readers already know it is an image. Focus instead on the meaningful content. For product images, include details like color, model, or use case that a shopper might search for.

Why Alt Tags Improve Google Rankings

Alt text gives Google additional context about your page's topic, reinforcing relevance signals. Well-optimized images can appear in Google Images, which is a significant source of traffic for many niches, especially recipes, fashion, travel, and products. Accessible sites also tend to provide better user experiences, which aligns with Google's broader quality goals. Together, these factors make alt tags a small effort with an outsized return.

Conclusion

Adding alt tags to your images is a simple, high-value SEO practice that benefits rankings, accessibility, and user experience at the same time. Describe each image clearly, use keywords naturally, and keep decorative images marked appropriately. Do this consistently and your visual content becomes a genuine ranking asset. If you would rather have experts optimize your entire image library and on-page SEO, our team is ready to help you get it done right.