One of the SEO tips for blog posts we recommend is adding alt text to every image.
Adding alt text (alternative text) on images in your ERP/CRM Software Blog posts is easy. Even though it takes a few extra minutes, it is worth it to help your post show up higher in search results.
How to add alt text to an image on the group blog sites:
1) Click on the image
2) Select the edit icon (a tiny pencil image). This action will open a window with fields where you can add the alt text. (see screenshots)
If the image is inside your blog post, it is a “body image.”
Body Image Alt Tag Access for Group Blogs:
You can also add alt text to the “featured image” of your blog post. This is the image that shows up in social media previews when you link to the post.
Not sure how to add a featured image? Read: How To: Add a Featured Image to Your Blog Post
Featured Image Alt Tag Access for Group Blogs:
Note: If you click “learn how to describe the purpose of the image,” you will be taken to the W3.org decision tree guide for creating compliant alt tags.
If your company blog uses the latest WordPress editor, click on an image, and the Block tab on the right sidebar will open automatically. In the "Image Settings" section, locate the empty field designated for alt text, input the relevant information, and click "Update."
When writing Alt text, be descriptive and specific, and consider the image's context.
Bad alt text is stuffed with keywords and does not provide useful information to the disabled reader.
Image Alt Text Best Practices
Image alt text needs to be specific but also representative of the topic of the webpage it's supporting.
Here are a few essential keys to writing compelling image alt text:
· Describe the image and be specific. If the image is a screenshot demonstrating the use of a feature in Microsoft Dynamics ERP or CRM, describe the image and be specific. Use both the image's content and context to guide you.
If the image doesn't feature a recognizable place or person, add context based on the page's content. For example, the alt text for a stock image of a woman typing on a computer could be:
"Woman entering data for year-end reconciliation in MS Dynamics Business Central" or "Woman reviewing supply chain report with Dynamics Business Central," depending on the webpage topic.
· Keep your alt text fewer than 125 characters. Screen-reading tools typically stop reading alt text at this point, cutting off long-winded alt text at awkward moments when verbalizing this description for the visually impaired.
· Don't start alt text with "picture of..." or "Image of..." Jump right into the image's description. Screen-reading tools (and Google, for that matter) will identify it as an image from the article's HTML source code.
· Don't cram your keyword into every single image's alt text. If your blog post contains a series of images, include your target keyword in at least one of the images you think most represents your topic. Stick to more specific descriptions in the remaining images using keywords related to the core blog topic if they help describe the image.
· Don't add alt text to every image. You should add alt text to most images on a webpage for the sake of SEO, UX, and accessibility — however, there are exceptions. For example, images that are purely decorative or described in text nearby should have an empty alt attribute.
The complete guidelines for alt tag creation are listed in a decision tree provided by W3.org at https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/.
How Alt Text Impacts SEO
According to Google, alt text combines with computer vision algorithms and the page's contents to understand the subject matter of images.
Alt text, therefore, helps Google better understand not only what the images are about but also what the webpage as a whole is about. This helps increase the chances of your images appearing in image search results.
With Google's rollout of Search Generative Experience (SGE), high-quality and contextual alt text ensures your content is in the mix of the new AI-powered snapshot of key information.
Google has indicated that it may favor pages in its ranking algorithm that are handicap accessible as per the W3.org guidelines. This article from September of 2023 gives a good case for why accessibility is likely to be a Google search ranking factor soon: https://www.evoluted.net/blog/marketing/is-accessibility-the-next-seo-ranking-factor
Alt text is essential for three reasons: accessibility, user experience, and image traffic. Understanding the importance of these factors is crucial for crafting compelling alt text for all your images.
1. Accessibility
In 1999, the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) introduced the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0, aiming to enhance content accessibility for users with disabilities. A pivotal guideline emphasized the need to "Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content." Any webpage containing images, videos, sounds, or applets should offer alternative information equivalent to its visual or auditory elements. Alt text is pivotal in ensuring your content remains accessible to all users, irrespective of their visual capabilities.
2. User Experience
Alt text not only enables accessibility; it also contributes to an enhanced user experience for all visitors. Consider a scenario where a user has a slow bandwidth connection, and your images fail to load. Instead of just encountering a broken link icon, the user will also have access to alt text, allowing them to grasp the intended message of the image. The user who cannot view an image, for whatever reason, will either hear or see the alt text. That will significantly improve their overall user experience compared to a scenario without alt text.
3. Image Traffic
Alt text serves another critical function by boosting the visibility of your images in search results, whether on platforms like Google Images or as part of image packs. Image packs are distinct results showcased as a horizontal row of image links appearing in various organic positions. Furthermore, images, excluding stock images, that feature in both types of search results present an additional avenue for attracting visitors. Effective use of alt text can thus contribute to heightened image visibility and increased organic traffic.
By ERP Software Blog Editors, www.groupbloggers.com