Alt Text for SEO: Why It’s Still Essential in the Era of AI and Computer Vision

You’ve likely heard the buzz about computer vision and AI image recognition. With technology evolving to the point where machines can “see” and understand images, many people wonder: Is alt text still relevant for SEO? Does Google even need it anymore? Well, the short answer is yes—alt text is still crucial. And no, computer vision alone isn’t enough to cover all your SEO bases.

While AI and computer vision have come a long way, there’s still more to making images work for your SEO. John Mueller from Google has weighed in, and his insights make it clear: alt text remains one of the best ways to help search engines truly understand your images—and it’s not something that AI can fully replace just yet.


Stylized graphic representing ‘alt text’ with two green mountains, a light blue sky, an orange sun, and a blue rectangle with ‘ALT’ in white letters.

So What Is Alt Text?

Alt text (short for “alternative text”) is a simple but powerful element in your HTML. It’s the description you provide within the <img> tag to tell search engines what the image is about. Think of it as a translator between your image and the web crawlers that are trying to index your site.

For users, especially those using screen readers due to visual impairments, alt text serves as a descriptive narrative of what they can’t see. In other words, it’s crucial for accessibility. For search engines like Google, it helps their algorithms understand the image, giving them more context for how to index it correctly.

Alt text has long been a best practice for SEO. If you’re uploading images without adding alt text, you’re essentially missing out on an opportunity to improve both your search visibility and your site’s user experience.


The Importance of Alt Text for SEO and Accessibility

Let’s be honest—most people think of alt text only when they hear “SEO.” But it’s so much more than that.

  • For SEO: Alt text gives search engines a textual explanation of what’s in an image. This can help images appear in Google Image Search and even boost the relevance of the surrounding page’s ranking. Well-written alt text means Google knows exactly what that image is supposed to represent in the broader context of your page.
  • For Accessibility: If your site is used by people with visual impairments, alt text is a lifeline. It’s how screen readers “speak” the image to those users. Without alt text, a visually impaired visitor would have no idea what’s in that image. So, from an ethical and legal perspective, alt text is a no-brainer.

Best Practices for Writing Effective Alt Text

Before diving into the techy stuff about computer vision, it’s important to nail down the basics. If you’re still not optimizing your images, let’s change that today. Here are some quick pointers:

  • Be descriptive but concise: Alt text should explain the image in plain terms, but don’t turn it into an essay.
  • Avoid keyword stuffing: Adding too many keywords to your alt text to game the system? Google’s too smart for that now. Stick to natural descriptions that make sense.
  • Keep It Concise: Aim for 1-2 sentences. Most screen readers cut off alt text after 125 characters. Focus on the essential elements of the image.
  • Avoid Redundancy: Do not start with phrases like “image of” or “picture of” as screen readers already announce it as an image. Avoid repeating information that is already present in the surrounding text.
  • Make it relevant: If the image is of a product, describe the product in a way that relates to the page’s context. If it’s a stock photo used for atmosphere, keep it relevant to the subject of the article or product.

Example: Instead of “red shoes,” you’d write “Red high-heeled shoes for women with leather material” if that’s what the page is about.

Html: <img src="Red-Shoes.jpg" alt="Red high-heeled shoes for women with leather material">


How Computer Vision Is Changing Image Recognition

You might be asking, “If AI can recognize images on its own, why do I even need alt text anymore?”

Good question. And here’s the thing—computer vision is indeed impressive. Google’s machine learning models can analyze images, identify objects, and even categorize them. But the problem is that these models are often limited to literal interpretations.

Say you upload a picture of a beach. Computer vision can probably tell that it’s a beach, but that’s where its job ends. It won’t know if the beach is part of a luxury resort, a chemical spill site, or just a relaxing vacation photo unless you tell it. And that’s where alt text comes in.

Computer vision can give Google a starting point, but it’s the context from your page and the alt text that helps search engines rank the image correctly.


John Mueller’s Take: Alt Text Is Still Crucial

Google’s John Mueller recently weighed in on this topic during a Reddit thread, and his insights are golden for anyone still doubting the power of alt text. Here’s what he said:

“For image search, there's the context that comes from the page + image combination that matters. A photo of a beach might be a relaxing poster, it might be the beach from a hotel, it could be the site of a chemical spill. Just knowing that the image is of a beach doesn't really give sufficient background information to be able to show it in image search appropriately.”

This statement really hits home the point: just because Google’s AI can see the beach doesn’t mean it knows what the beach is about.

Mueller also added:

“A lot of it does come from the page, and the alt-text is unique in that it's what directly connects the image to the page with context.”

So, even though AI can recognize what’s in the image, the alt text gives you the unique chance to link that image to the page’s purpose.

Lastly, he warns that relying on AI to auto-generate alt text, which often ends up as something generic like “photo of a beach,” can mean missing out on adding the context that really matters. Tailoring your alt text to match the broader story of your page is key.


Conclusion

So, is alt text still relevant in the age of computer vision? Absolutely. While machine learning is getting better at understanding images, it’s far from replacing the depth of context that well-crafted alt text can offer.

For SEO, alt text is your best opportunity to ensure your images are indexed correctly and show up in the right search results. And for accessibility, it’s crucial to making your site usable for everyone.

If you’re already using alt text, keep refining it with meaningful descriptions that tie your images to the page. If not, it’s time to get started—there’s no better way to ensure both search engines and users understand the value of your images.

And remember, in the world of SEO, it’s not just about what you know but how you apply it. Get that alt text working for you, and you’ll be thanking yourself the next time your images start pulling in traffic.



Acknowledgment

This article references insights shared by John Mueller, Google’s search advocate, in a Reddit discussion. You can view the full Q and A on Reddit here.



Related Articles

How Image Optimization Boosts Speed, SEO, and User Experience: What You’re Overlooking.