What is Alternative Text (ALT Text)?

ALT text, short for "alternative text", is a textual description that can be added to HTML tags applied to images on web pages. This description provides context or a brief about the image, making it accessible to those who cannot view it, especially visually impaired users who use screen readers. It's a form of metadata that helps convey the content and purpose of an image on a site.

Importance of ALT Text in Web Accessibility

In the digital realm, inclusivity is crucial. ALT text plays a pivotal role in making the internet a more accessible place for everyone, including:

• Visually Impaired Users: For individuals using screen readers, ALT text provides a verbal description of the image, ensuring they receive the same information as sighted users.
• Technical Issues: In situations where an image fails to load due to connectivity issues, the ALT text will display, giving users an idea of what should have been there.
• Non-visual Browsers: Some browsers, especially text-only browsers, don't display images. Here, ALT text ensures users still receive the intended information.

The Role of ALT Text in SEO

Beyond accessibility, ALT text also serves a purpose in search engine optimization:

1. Image Search: With a relevant ALT text, search engines can understand the context of an image, making it more likely to appear in image search results.
2. Web Page Relevance: ALT text adds to the content relevance of a page for search engine crawlers, potentially improving the page's overall SEO ranking.
3. Reducing Bounce Rate: When images don't load, and users see ALT text instead, they're less likely to leave the site immediately, reducing the bounce rate which is a positive signal for SEO.

How to Implement ALT Text

1. Be Descriptive: Describe the image concisely, ensuring the ALT text gives context or explains its significance.
2. Stay Relevant: The ALT text should always be relevant to the image and the content around it. For instance, for SaaS businesses, if the image is of a dashboard, the ALT text might be "user-friendly analytics dashboard."
3. Avoid Keyword Stuffing: While it's beneficial for SEO, avoid overloading the ALT text with keywords. It should feel natural and primarily be for users, not just search engines.
4. Use It Wisely: Not every image requires ALT text. Decorative images that offer no real content or context may not need it. In such cases, you can use an empty ALT attribute (alt="").

Conclusion

ALT text serves a dual role, enhancing web accessibility while also boosting SEO performance. Especially for SaaS businesses, where visuals often carry essential information about the product, ensuring they're accessible to all, while also being SEO-friendly, can provide a significant advantage. As with all web practices, the user's experience should be at the forefront of any ALT text implementation.