Image Alt Text is and how to set it up in WordPress - One of the most important things you do to help your site's success is to optimize search engines. There are ways to get there, both large and small. A smaller but still important task is to optimize alternative image text.
"Alt text", or "alt tag", is important for accessibility, but it has a positive impact on your site's SEO. Even your readers will never see this 'hidden' information, alternative image text for pages like Google valuable content data, so that it can be presented to searchers. sword matching.
In this post, we will introduce alternative image text and explain why it's important. Then show you how to add and optimize alternative image text in WordPress. Let's get started!
Introduction to Image Alt Text
When you add an image to WordPress or embed another piece of media such as GIF, you will have options to assign it an ‘alternative text’. This is simply a brief description of the media file and usually takes the form of a short sentence.
For example, suppose you have embedded an image in a WordPress blog post
Assign it an image that replaces the text: "The Themeisle blog homepage". This is a description of what the image contains.
However, under normal circumstances, that sentence will not actually appear on the site. Image alt text is a type of metadata - meaning behind-the-scenes information that visitors will never see. So why include it?
The first involves the original purpose of the alt text image accessibility. This behind-the-scenes text has been created so that visually impaired visitors (that is, those who cannot see images in your content) still have some way of knowing who they are. Alternative text is also helpful if your site has trouble loading completely, as the text will usually show as a placeholder when the image is not displayed.
With the ease of creating alternative text images, those reasons are enough to motivate people to use them. However, if you need more encouragement, you want to know that alternative text is also beneficial for search engine visibility on your page.
The effect of image alt text on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine (SEO) is the process of adjusting online content so that it is ranked higher on the tool (SERPs). If many people search Google for related keywords and phrases that show up on the first page of results, then you're doing a solid job with your SEO.
There are many ways to improve your page SEO and we have mentioned many techniques in the past. Many SEO strategies involve spending a lot of time researching or installing specialized tools. However, there are also smaller actions that affect page rankings - like whether you've added and optimized alternative image text.
Google and other tools have taken advantage of the information presented by alternative text for a long time. Their bots pay attention to the text of each alt tag, using it to gain a deeper understanding of the content. A bit of this extra metadata helps the tool capture the content of the image. It also helps clarify the subject of surrounding text.
If you want to take advantage of your image replacement text, you'll want to add it to each part of the embedded media in the first place. You will then want to optimize it to be useful for the fastest search engines. Let's discuss how to do both.
How to add and optimize alternative image text in WordPress
In fact, adding image alt text in WordPress couldn't be simpler. The hardest part is simply remembering to do so. You will want to make it part of your routine if. Like helping through each page or posting after you've finished writing and assigning each image an alternative text at the same time.
To do so, click on the image in the page or post and select the Edit icon:
Use the image editing screen to add image alt text
In the caption, you will see a field labeled Alt text. This is where you can enter your image replacement text. Just enter it, and click on Update!
You can also do this right away by uploading an image in your Library, using the same field
However, as with SEO tasks, simply adding replacement text is not enough. You will also want to optimize it, to make sure it will work. Here are a few best practices to follow when creating alt text:
- Use a full sentence, instead of a short word or phrase. This gives visitors and bots the same with more information.
- As much as possible description, clearly explain what the image contains.
- Keywords in alt tags. Keywords are essential for any powerful SEO strategies, and this is still the place to incorporate them. If you have a main keyword for your content, you will want to use it in alternative text whenever it makes sense to do so. For images of products in particular, including the product name and product ID is also a smart idea.
If you memorize these tips, you'll find yourself creating effective image replacement text right away!
Conclusion
Adding alt images seems like a minor problem. However, it is worth noting if you want the page to rank highest in the search engines (and attract the most views). This feature is also important for people with visual impairments and room for times when your site cannot load images.
In WordPress, you do this through the editing screen in the Media Library, or individual posts and pages. Please optimize your alt text. You will want to use sentences that are fully descriptive and include many keywords.
Post a Comment
Post a Comment