Has An Anchored Image With No Alt Text: How to Fix This Technical SEO Issue

Understanding Image Accessibility

What is an alt text attribute

Alt text (alternative text) provides a text description of an image’s content and function. It serves multiple critical functions:

• Enables screen readers to describe images to visually impaired users
• Displays as a placeholder when images fail to load
• Helps search engines understand and index image content

The alt attribute is added to images using HTML code:

<img src="image.jpg" alt="Description of the image">

Or through content management systems that provide alt text fields when uploading images^[1].

Importance of alt text for SEO

Alt text plays a crucial role in search engine optimization by helping search engines understand and properly index image content. Properly optimized alt text enables search engines to:

• Index images accurately for image search results
• Understand the overall context and relevance of page content
• Surface images in featured snippets and rich results

Missing or poorly written alt text can negatively impact SEO performance by limiting the contextual signals search engines use to understand page relevance^[2].

Impact on user accessibility

Missing alt text creates significant accessibility barriers for users who rely on screen readers and other assistive technologies. This impacts several key user groups:

• Screen reader users cannot understand the meaning or purpose of images
• Users with cognitive disabilities miss valuable visual context
• People with poor internet connections cannot see image content when loading fails

The accessibility impact extends beyond just understanding images. Missing alt text can prevent users from completing essential tasks, understanding educational materials, navigating websites effectively, and engaging with social media content^[3].

Common Alt Text Issues

Missing alt attributes

Missing alt attributes occur when images lack the HTML alt property entirely. This creates several problems:

• Screen readers cannot provide any description of the image
• Search engines have no textual context to understand the image content
• Users see no descriptive text when images fail to load

To identify images missing alt attributes, use SEO crawling tools, browser developer tools, CMS plugins, or online accessibility checkers^[4].

Empty alt attributes

Empty alt attributes (alt=””) tell screen readers to deliberately skip over decorative images that don’t convey meaningful content. They should only be used when:

• The image is purely decorative and adds no informational value
• The image’s meaning is already fully captured in surrounding text or captions
• The image is part of a group where only one image needs alt text to avoid redundancy

Using empty alt attributes appropriately helps create a more efficient experience for screen reader users by avoiding redundant or unnecessary image announcements^[5].

Non-descriptive alt text

Non-descriptive alt text fails to meaningfully convey image content and context. Common problematic patterns include:

• Using generic phrases like ‘image’ or ‘photo’
• Describing only visual elements without context
• Providing overly vague descriptions that don’t capture the image’s purpose

The solution is writing alt text that focuses on conveying both what an image shows and why it matters in context^[6].

Best Practices for Alt Text Implementation

Writing effective alt text

Effective alt text conveys both what an image shows and why it matters in context. Key principles include:

• Place the most important information first
• Keep descriptions under 125 characters to avoid screen reader cutoffs
• Skip phrases like ‘image of’ or ‘picture of’
• Include relevant context from the surrounding page content
• Use keywords naturally, not forcefully

When writing alt text for different image types, tailor your approach based on the image’s purpose and content^[7].

When to use empty alt attributes

Use empty alt attributes (alt=””) for images that are purely decorative and add no meaningful content to the page. This includes:

• Visual enhancements like borders, spacers, and flourishes
• Images whose meaning is fully conveyed in adjacent text or captions
• Images in a group where only one needs alt text to avoid redundancy

Using empty alt attributes appropriately creates a more efficient experience by avoiding unnecessary announcements while ensuring decorative elements are properly handled^[8].

Length and formatting guidelines

Alt text should be concise while still conveying essential meaning – typically under 125 characters. Key formatting guidelines include:

• Capitalize the first letter and use proper grammar
• Skip redundant phrases like ‘image of’ or ‘picture of’
• Place the most important descriptive information first

For complex images requiring detailed descriptions, use a brief alt text summary and provide a separate long description through adjacent text content or a dedicated page^[9].

Technical Implementation

HTML syntax for alt text

The alt text attribute is added to images using standard HTML syntax:

<img src="image.jpg" alt="Description of image">

For linked images, combine the img and anchor tags:


<a href="page.html">
<img src="logo.jpg" alt="Company Name homepage">
</a>


The alt attribute is required for valid HTML, even when empty. Missing alt attributes cause accessibility issues and validation errors.

Handling decorative images

Decorative images serve aesthetic purposes without conveying meaningful information. Use empty alt text (alt=””) to signal screen readers to skip them entirely. Common examples include:

• Visual borders, spacers, and background patterns
• Images that repeat information already present in text
• Icons placed next to descriptive text

Implement decorative images with empty alt attributes, not by omitting the alt attribute entirely^[10].

Testing alt text implementation

Testing requires both automated tools and manual verification. Use browser developer tools and dedicated testing tools like WAVE to scan for accessibility issues. For manual testing:

• Use screen readers to verify alt text is meaningful
• Check that decorative images use empty alt attributes
• Verify complex images have appropriate long descriptions
• Confirm linked images describe their destinations

Combine automated scans with manual review using a checklist approach for thorough testing^[11].

Fixing Missing Alt Text Issues

Identifying images without alt text

Several methods exist to identify images missing alt text:

• Browser developer tools for checking individual pages
• Automated crawling tools like Screaming Frog for site-wide scanning
• Browser extensions for live checking while browsing
• CMS plugins for continuous monitoring as new content is published

Focus first on important content images like product photos, infographics, and charts rather than decorative elements^[12].

Tools for bulk alt text auditing

Specialized tools can efficiently audit alt text across entire websites:

• Screaming Frog SEO Spider crawls sites to identify missing and empty alt text
• WebSite Auditor provides a dedicated Images section with preview thumbnails
• Browser-based tools like Image Alt Text Viewer display alt text overlays while browsing

When selecting an auditing tool, look for features like JavaScript rendering support, bulk export capabilities, and detailed reporting that distinguishes between missing attributes and empty alt text^[13].

Conclusion

At Loud Interactive, our SEO experts can help you implement effective alt text strategies to boost your website’s accessibility and search performance. We’ll conduct a thorough audit of your existing images and provide tailored recommendations to optimize your alt text for both users and search engines.