Image Alt Text (and Why It Matters for SEO & Accessibility)
A written description of an image, read by screen readers and search engines alike.
What it means
Alt text is a short written description attached to an image in a page's code. It's read aloud by screen readers for visitors who are blind or low-vision, shown if the image fails to load, and used by search engines to understand what the image depicts since they can't fully "see" it themselves.
Why it matters
Missing alt text is both an accessibility gap and a missed SEO opportunity — image search sends real traffic, and search engines rely entirely on alt text and surrounding context to know what an image shows. It's one of the easiest, most overlooked fixes on most sites.
ask datanephew
Can datanephew tell me which images are missing alt text?
Yes — when it audits a page, it can flag images with missing or unhelpful alt text.
Does alt text actually affect my SEO?
It helps search engines understand and potentially rank your images in image search, and it's a factor in overall page quality. Ask datanephew to check your key pages if you're not sure where the gaps are.