Sometimes the smallest details carry the biggest weight. Alt text is one of them, a single hidden line that can mean the difference between being discovered or disappearing. It’s not flashy, and you won’t pitch it as the star of your campaign, but in 2025 alt text SEO has become one of the most underrated drivers of growth.
Marketers often chase the bold and shiny: the viral video, the sleek rebrand, the perfect ad. Those matter, but the brands that rise above don’t just create, they refine. They pay attention to the overlooked details that compound over time. Alt text is one of those details. It signals inclusivity, accessibility, and a clear grasp of how search engines actually reward content.
At The it Crowd, we’ve built our reputation on noticing what others miss. And what we’ve seen is simple: businesses that treat details like alt text, image SEO optimization, and website accessibility SEO as non-negotiables are the ones that gain momentum. It’s time to pull alt text out of the margins and give it the spotlight it deserves.
Accessibility Is More Than a Checkbox
It’s easy to think of accessibility as compliance, a boring box to tick. Accessibility is more than compliance, it’s a clear reflection of your brand’s values. According to the WCAG 2.2 alt text guidelines, every meaningful image on your site should have a text description. That’s not just a rule, it’s an invitation.
When alt text is missing, the gap goes beyond a technical error and directly affects both accessibility and visibility. It’s a locked door for millions of users who rely on screen readers and it’s one of the most common problems on the internet: WebAIM’s annual scan of over a million homepages shows missing alt attributes consistently topping the list of accessibility failures.
Now think about what that means for your brand. If someone can’t access your content because you didn’t write a single line of description, they don’t just feel excluded, they feel invisible and that experience defines how they perceive your company.
For businesses, there’s also the legal layer. Neglecting alt text can put you at risk of lawsuits tied to ADA website compliance. But let’s zoom out, beyond compliance, writing alt text is simply good business, it’s digital hospitality. It’s the equivalent of opening the door, pulling up a chair, and saying, “You belong here too.” And in a marketplace where trust is currency, that gesture pays dividends.
SEO Loves Alt Text More Than You Realize
Here’s the part marketers often underestimate: alt text doesn’t just improve accessibility, it improves discoverability. Search engines can’t “see” images. They rely on text to understand them. Which means alt text is a direct ranking signal for Google Image search optimization.
Imagine running an e-commerce store selling kitchenware. You upload dozens of product photos, but none of them have alt text. To Google, those images are invisible. Now imagine adding thoughtful descriptions: “stainless steel chef’s knife with ergonomic handle” or “nonstick ceramic frying pan in teal finish.” Suddenly, those images have context. Suddenly, they can appear in search results for the exact queries your buyers are typing.
We’ve watched such an effect happen. No ad spend, no fancy campaigns, just clear descriptions where there used to be silence and that’s the power of alt text best practices for SEO and accessibility. You don’t need to overhaul your entire site to see results. Sometimes, the smallest tweaks trigger the biggest wins.
What Good Alt Text Actually Looks Like
Of course, not all alt text is created equal. Plenty of brands slap in a keyword or a generic phrase and call it done. But that’s not good enough, not for accessibility, not for SEO, and certainly not for your brand’s credibility.
So what separates the good from the bad?
- Bad Alt Text: “image123.jpg” (lazy, meaningless, useless).
- Bad Alt Text: “Marketing infographic with a bunch of icons and colors” (rambling, no clarity).
- Good Alt Text: “Bar chart showing 40% increase in email open rates from January to March.”
- Good Alt Text: “Black ceramic mug with The it Crowd logo on a wooden desk.”
Good alt text is concise, descriptive, and contextual. It doesn’t try to jam in a dozen keywords, but it doesn’t leave the user (or the search engine) guessing either. If you’re wondering how to write alt text for images, the trick is to describe the image the way you would to someone who can’t see it, while naturally weaving in relevant search terms.
Think of it as micro-copywriting. Every sentence is a tiny story that adds up to a more discoverable, more accessible, and more human brand experience.
E-commerce Brands: Your Goldmine Is Hiding in Plain Sight
If you’re in ecommerce, alt text isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s revenue waiting to be tapped into. Each product image is a potential entry point for a buyer. But without alt text, it’s like publishing a catalog without captions.
Let’s take an example. A shopper searches for “rose gold minimalist women’s watch.” If your product photo has no alt text, it’s invisible. If it’s labeled “rose gold minimalist women’s watch with leather strap”, suddenly you’re in the running. That’s how writing alt text for e-commerce product images translates directly into sales.
Scaling this across hundreds or thousands of SKUs may feel daunting, but you don’t have to tackle it all at once. Start with your top sellers. Prioritize high-margin or seasonal products. Even partial implementation can deliver measurable results.
And here’s the kicker: when shoppers find you through images, they’re already visually engaged. That often means they’re further down the funnel, closer to buying. Alt text doesn’t just pull in traffic; it pulls in qualified traffic.
Who’s Responsible for Alt Text in Your Team?
Here’s where the ball often gets dropped: no one knows who owns alt text. Designers think writers should do it. Writers assume it’s a dev task. Developers think it belongs to SEO. And in the shuffle, the detail disappears.
The fix is simple: assign ownership. Make alt text part of your marketing checklist and build it into your content workflow. Whether it’s your content team, your SEO manager, or a dedicated accessibility role, someone has to carry the flag.
Tools can help. Accessibility checkers, Screaming Frog, even built-in CMS plugins can flag missing alt fields. But tools only highlight the gaps. It still takes a human to write alt text that’s meaningful, contextual, and brand-aligned.
At The it Crowd, we often act as that safety net. Because while teams are focused on the big picture, we make sure no small—but critical—detail slips through.
Accessibility Fixes That Also Boost ROI
Few tactics in marketing deliver a double win as cleanly as alt text. It’s simultaneously an accessibility fix that boosts SEO and an SEO move that enhances accessibility. That rare overlap makes it a no-brainer.
By writing thoughtful alt text, you:
- Stay compliant with ADA website compliance and WCAG 2.2 standards.
- Open your content to audiences who depend on screen readers.
- Increase chances of discovery in both search and image results.
- Strengthen relevance signals to Google’s algorithms.
- Build brand trust through inclusivity.
This isn’t abstract. It’s practical. And it’s the kind of attention to detail that separates teams scrambling in Q4 from teams confidently hitting their numbers.
A Quick Alt Text SEO Checklist
If you’re ready to put this into practice, here’s a simple list you can act on this week:
- Run an audit to identify missing alt text on your site.
- Prioritize top-traffic or high-value pages.
- Write alt text that is concise, descriptive, and contextual.
- Avoid keyword stuffing, opt for clarity and readability.
- Validate updates with accessibility tools to ensure compliance.
That’s it. Five steps that can dramatically improve both your SEO and your accessibility posture. And once you’ve built the habit, it becomes second nature.
Closing Thoughts: Small Words, Big Payoff
Alt text may never headline your campaign deck, but when you look at your analytics, your impressions, and your conversions, it will quietly prove its worth. It’s the alt text best practice for SEO and accessibility that builds discoverability. It’s the accessibility safeguard that shows you care about every user. It’s the simple marketing audit checklist item that delivers real ROI.
So the next time you upload an image, pause before you skip the alt field. That blank box is actually a revenue opportunity, a trust builder, and a visibility booster. Fill it with care, and you’ll be surprised at what happens next.
And if you want a partner who thrives in spotting these invisible wins, The it Crowd is here. We’re ready to help you achieve the kind of growth that comes not from chasing every trend, but from mastering the fundamentals that make everything else work.
