Image SEO and Alt Text: A Simple Guide That Actually Helps You Rank
Most small businesses treat images as purely visual — upload the photo, done. But every image is also a missed or captured opportunity: for accessibility, for image search traffic, and for giving Google extra context about what a page is actually about. 💖
What most businesses get wrong: either leaving alt text blank entirely, or stuffing it with keywords in a way that reads like nonsense to an actual screen reader user. Alt text should describe the image the way you'd describe it to someone who can't see it.
The Image SEO Quick Checklist
- Rename the file before uploading — "physio-clinic-gold-coast-waiting-room.jpg" beats "IMG_4821.jpg".
- Write alt text that describes the image in one plain sentence: "Physiotherapist assessing a client's shoulder mobility in a treatment room."
- Skip alt text (leave it empty) for purely decorative images — like background textures — so screen readers don't waste time on irrelevant content.
- Compress images before uploading — large file sizes slow page load, which affects both user experience and rankings.
How to actually write good alt text
Describe what's in the image and, where relevant, its purpose on the page — in under 125 characters where possible. Avoid starting with "image of" or "photo of", since screen readers already announce that it's an image; just describe the content directly.
Mistakes to avoid
- Leaving alt text blank on meaningful images, failing screen reader users entirely.
- Keyword-stuffing alt text in a way that reads unnaturally and unhelpfully.
- Uploading uncompressed, oversized image files that slow down page load.
- Using the exact same alt text on multiple different images across the site.
Frequently asked questions
Does this really affect Google rankings?
It's a minor, secondary ranking signal rather than a major one — the bigger, more immediate benefit is accessibility and image search visibility.
How long should alt text be?
Generally under 125 characters — long enough to describe the image clearly, short enough that a screen reader doesn't take too long to read it aloud.
Do we need to fix every image on our site at once?
No — prioritise your highest-traffic pages first, then work through the rest gradually rather than treating it as an all-or-nothing project.
Honestly, is this worth the time for a small site?
Yes, particularly for accessibility reasons — it's a genuine legal and ethical consideration, not just an SEO nice-to-have, and it's a quick fix once you know the habit.
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