How to Write Good Alt Text for SEO (Without Keyword Stuffing)
When it comes to SEO, most small business owners hear about optimizing pages, writing blogs, and speeding up their websites. But there’s a secret weapon hidden right in plain sight: your image alt text.
Done well, alt text can boost your SEO, help your site rank higher, and even improve the experience for your visitors.
Done wrong, it can actively hurt your site’s performance — or simply waste valuable opportunities.
In this article, we’ll break down what most people think alt text is for, what bad freelancers and agencies often get wrong, and exactly how you can do it the right way using a simple system.
What Most People Think Alt Text Does
Ask around, and you’ll usually hear one of two ideas:
“Alt text is just for SEO, right?” (Usually meaning: jam in as many keywords as you can.)
“It’s just for screen readers; it doesn’t affect anything else.”
Both are wrong — and both can cost you results.
Alt text is meant to describe images for users who can’t see them (accessibility) and help Google understand what your images — and your pages — are about (SEO). It’s not just one or the other. It’s both.
How Bad Freelancers and Agencies Write Alt Text
Unfortunately, many cheap SEO providers treat alt text like a keyword stuffing zone.
You’ll see alt text like this:
“Nashville roofing roofing contractors near me roof repair Nashville best roofer.”
(Yes, that’s real.)
Other times, they get lazy and write things like:
“Image of a person.”
Neither helps real users. Neither helps Google.
And worst of all — Google knows when you’re trying to game the system.
Bad alt text doesn’t just miss opportunities.
It signals to Google that your SEO practices might be low quality.
What Google Actually Wants from Your Alt Text
Google’s official guidance is clear:
Be descriptive and informative.
Keep it concise.
Make it contextual to the page content.
Naturally include keywords if they fit — never force them.
Use an empty alt attribute (
alt="") for purely decorative images.
In short:
Write alt text like you’re helping a real human understand what’s there — because you are.
The Old Way vs. The New Way
The Old Way:
Look at the picture.
Guess what to say.
Maybe toss in a few keywords.
The New (Smart) Way:
Follow a system that ensures every piece of alt text you write actually helps your SEO and your users.
How to Write Good Alt Text for SEO (The System)
Here’s the simple method you can start using immediately:
1. Open your image.
Take a moment to actually observe it.
2. Think about the page context.
Ask yourself: Where is this image showing up? What is the page about?
3. Ask:
“Describe this image briefly but meaningfully, focusing on what matters to someone who can’t see it, considering the page’s topic: [insert short explanation].“
(If you’re using AI tools like ChatGPT, you can literally feed that prompt in.)
4. Write your succinct alt text.
Use natural language.
Stay under ~125 characters when possible.
Include keywords only if they fit naturally.
Never start with “Image of” or “Picture of.”
5. Final Review Checklist:
Is it short, clear, and relevant?
Is it helpful to real users?
Is it aligned with the page content?
Is it empty (
alt="") if the image is decorative?
Alt Text Examples (Good vs. Bad)
Bad Example (Keyword Stuffing):
“Nashville dentist teeth whitening Invisalign dental services dental crowns best dentist.”
Bad Example (Too Vague):
“Image of a woman.”
Good Example (Following the System):
“Smiling woman showing off her bright smile after teeth whitening treatment.”
Conclusion
Alt text is one of those small things that can make a big difference.
It’s not just about making your website technically better.
It’s about creating a better experience for users and signaling to Google that your site deserves to rank.
Skip the shortcuts.
Skip the keyword spam.
Follow the system — and you’ll be ahead of 90% of your competitors.
✅ Want More Step-by-Step SEO Help?
If you want even more proven, powerful strategies like this — I’ve put together an entire 42-Step SEO Checklist you can use to optimize your website.
It’s 100% free, and it walks you through everything you need to boost your traffic, get more leads, and transform your business — even if you’re starting from scratch.
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