The importance of alternative text in digital publishing: making images accessible

Art. no. 216462833 24 Apr 2025

In the visually rich world of digital publishing, images, infographics and other visual elements play a crucial role in conveying information and capturing the reader's interest. But for visually impaired people, these elements can present a barrier. Enter alt text - a simple but powerful tool that makes images accessible to all.

What is Alt Text?

Alt text, short for 'alternative text', is a short description of an image that can be read by screen readers or displayed when an image cannot be loaded. It provides context, ensuring that users who cannot see the image still understand its meaning.

Why alt text is crucial in digital publishing

1. Improve accessibility

For the visually impaired: Screen readers rely on alt text to describe images to visually impaired users, to ensure they do not miss any content.
For those with slow internet: In areas with slow internet connections where images may not load, alt text provides a text description.

2. Increase SEO

Image search: Proper alt text can help your images rank in search engines' image searches, leading to more traffic to your publication.
Overall SEO: Search engines take alt text into account when determining the relevance of a page to a search query.

3. provide context

Clarify data: For complex images such as infographics or charts, alt text can provide a concise summary of the data or information presented.
Descriptive images: For more artistic or abstract images, alt text can convey the mood, tone or theme.
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Best practices for writing alt text

1. Be descriptive but concise

Aim to convey the content and function of the image without being too verbose.

2. avoid redundancy

If the caption already describes the image, the alt text should provide additional insights or a more concise version.

<strong>3. Skip decorative images

If an image is purely decorative and does not add any informational value, it is best to use an empty alt attribute (alt="").

4. use keywords sparingly

While it's good for SEO, avoid keyword stuffing. Make sure the alt text remains relevant to the image.

Conclusion

Alt text is more than just an SEO tool - it's a bridge to inclusion in the digital sphere. By ensuring that every image in your digital publication has relevant and descriptive alt text, you are taking a significant step towards making your content accessible to everyone, regardless of their physical ability.