Alt text is a short written description of an image, added behind the scenes. It helps people using screen readers understand your images, and it tells search engines what each picture shows.
Also known as: Alternative text, image description, img alt attribute
In plain English
Every image on your site can carry a hidden text description - the "alt" attribute. Screen readers speak it aloud for visually impaired visitors, and when an image fails to load, it's often what visitors see instead.
Why it matters for your business
Google can't "see" images the way people do - alt text is a primary way it understands what a picture contains and can rank it in image search. It's also an accessibility requirement: missing alt text locks out screen-reader users.
When you'll run into it
Every time you add an image. Describe what the image shows and its context - not "image1.jpg" or a keyword stuffing exercise.
A real example
Example: an image of your team at a job site should have alt text like "SEO Pro Gurus technicians reviewing a WordPress site on a laptop" - not "image1234.jpg" or nothing at all. Screen readers depend on it, and Google Images uses it to understand what the picture shows.
Run into this on your site?
Speed Optimization