5 Ways to Optimize Infographic Alt Text for SEO
Alt text is crucial for improving both accessibility and SEO. It helps search engines understand your infographic content while ensuring visually impaired users can access the information. Here’s how to optimize it:
- Write Clear Descriptions: Focus on the infographic’s main idea, data points, and takeaways. Avoid vague or redundant phrases.
- Use Keywords Naturally: Include relevant keywords without overstuffing.
- Keep It Concise: Limit alt text to 125 characters for readability and SEO.
-
Skip Decorative Images: Use empty alt attributes (
alt="") for non-essential visuals. - Update Regularly: Refresh alt text to reflect updated data or evolving SEO practices.
Quick Overview
| Strategy | SEO Impact | Accessibility Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Descriptions | Better image search rankings | Provides accurate context |
| Keywords in Alt Text | Improves search relevance | Maintains natural flow |
| Concise Text | Helps with indexing efficiency | Avoids screen reader cutoffs |
| Empty Alt for Decoration | Prevents unnecessary indexing | Simplifies navigation |
| Regular Updates | Keeps content relevant | Ensures accuracy for all users |
Best Practices for Using Alt Text for Infographics
1. Write Clear and Relevant Alt Text
What to include:
- The main topic or subject of the image
- Key statistics or data points
- Relationships or comparisons shown
- Primary takeaways or conclusions
What to avoid:
- Descriptions of decorative elements
- Repeating "image of" or "picture of"
- Generic terms that lack detail
- Technical details like file names
For infographics, focus on crafting concise, keyword-focused alt text that highlights the most important data and visuals. The aim is to describe the image in a way that adds value to the page content.
Be Specific When Describing Infographics
Good alt text for infographics clearly explains the content without being vague. Here are some examples:
| Poor Alt Text | Effective Alt Text |
|---|---|
| "SEO infographic" | "Infographic showing 5 key SEO metrics: organic traffic growth, bounce rate, conversion rates, backlink quality, and page load times" |
| "Marketing stats" | "Infographic comparing digital marketing ROI across channels: email (4200%), social media (2800%), and PPC (200%)" |
| "Website traffic chart" | "Bar chart visualizing monthly website traffic growth from January to June 2024, highlighting a 150% increase" |
Avoid Unnecessary Words
Skip phrases like "Image of" or "Picture showing" - screen readers already identify the content as an image. For example, instead of saying, "Image of a bar chart showing traffic growth", simply write, "Bar chart showing traffic growth."
Keep alt text short - ideally under 125 characters - so it works well with screen readers and boosts SEO. This ensures your descriptions are both accessible and optimized for search engines [3][4].
2. Add Keywords to Alt Text Thoughtfully
Adding keywords to alt text is all about finding the right balance between improving SEO and keeping things user-friendly. Alt text plays a key role in image search rankings by helping search engines understand and index your infographic content.
Use Main Keywords
When writing alt text for infographics, include your primary keywords in a way that feels natural. Stick to terms that clearly describe the infographic's main topic and purpose.
Good examples of keyword usage:
- "Digital marketing trends infographic highlighting top 5 strategies for 2024"
- "SEO optimization checklist infographic with 10 ranking factors"
- "Content marketing ROI infographic comparing B2B and B2C results"
What to avoid:
- "Marketing infographic marketing trends marketing strategies 2024"
- "SEO SEO optimization SEO checklist infographic SEO factors"
- "Image of content marketing infographic showing marketing ROI"
Avoid keyword stuffing - repeating terms unnaturally can hurt your SEO and make the alt text confusing.
Include Related Keywords
If your main keywords don’t fit naturally, try using related terms to add context and improve relevance. Google suggests using keywords in a natural, meaningful way that fits the page content [3].
Examples of related keywords for alt text:
| Main Keyword | Related Keywords |
|---|---|
| Content Marketing | Content strategy, engagement metrics |
| SEO Rankings | Search visibility, organic traffic |
| Social Media ROI | Platform engagement, conversion rates |
Keep your descriptions under 125 characters, and focus on a natural flow. This ensures the alt text works well for both search engines and screen readers.
3. Keep Alt Text Short and Useful
Alt text plays a dual role in improving accessibility and SEO. To make it effective, keep it short and to the point while still conveying important information.
Write Clear and Brief Alt Text
Aim for alt text to be 125 characters or fewer. This keeps it concise enough for screen readers and search engines, avoiding truncation and ensuring the description remains impactful. Longer text can lose its effectiveness, so focus on delivering the main idea.
Use straightforward language to describe the infographic's purpose, key data, or main idea. The goal is to provide a meaningful description that’s easy to understand.
Example of good alt text:
- "Infographic showing 5 key digital marketing trends for 2024 with statistics"
When crafting alt text, prioritize:
- The main idea or message
- Important details or data
- The purpose of the infographic
SEO tools like AIOSEO and Yoast SEO can help you evaluate your alt text to ensure it aligns with both accessibility and SEO best practices.
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4. Use Empty Alt Text for Decorative Images
Decorative images can clutter both search engines and screen readers if not managed correctly. Adding empty alt text ensures these images don't interfere with SEO or accessibility.
"If you have images in your design that are purely there for design reasons, you're doing it wrong. Those images should be in your CSS and not in your HTML. If you really can't do anything about these images being there, give them an empty alt attribute" - Yoast [5]
What Are Decorative Images?
Decorative images are visual elements like background patterns, borders, or generic icons that don't add meaning to the content. These images are purely aesthetic and don't help users understand the page better. For such cases, an empty alt attribute allows screen readers to skip over them.
Here’s an example of how to use empty alt text:
<img src="decorative-pattern.png" alt="">
Why Use Empty Alt Text?
Using empty alt text has several advantages:
- Improves accessibility: Screen readers focus on content that matters, skipping irrelevant visuals.
- Supports SEO: Search engines ignore non-essential images, keeping your page content-focused.
- Enhances user experience: Assistive technologies present a cleaner, more relevant experience.
When deciding whether to use empty alt text, think about the image's purpose. A decorative line used as a divider? Use empty alt text. A graph showing trends? That image needs a descriptive alt attribute. Always consider the context to determine if the image adds meaning or is purely decorative.
5. Update Alt Text Regularly
Keeping your alt text up-to-date plays a key role in boosting SEO performance and ensuring accessibility. Well-maintained alt text can improve your visibility in image searches, which account for over 20% of online searches [3].
Check for Errors and Accuracy
When reviewing alt text for your infographics, focus on these points:
- Make sure the alt text is accurate, reflects any updates to the infographic, and is free of spelling mistakes.
- Confirm that the alt text matches the content and updates of the infographic itself.
Search engine algorithms change over time, so updating alt text helps keep your content aligned with the latest SEO standards.
"When choosing alt text, focus on creating useful, information-rich content that uses keywords appropriately and is in context of the content of the page. Avoid filling alt attributes with keywords (keyword stuffing) as it results in a negative user experience and may cause your site to be seen as spam." - Google Images best practices [3]
After addressing errors, maintaining a consistent approach ensures a smooth and professional experience for users across all your infographics.
Use a Consistent Style
| Element | Best Practice | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Start with the image type | "Pie chart illustrating market share distribution" |
| Data Description | Include key metrics | "Line graph tracking conversion rates: 2.3% to 4.8%" |
Tools like AIOSEO and Yoast SEO can help automate checks for consistency and suggest improvements [3].
To stay on top of things, schedule regular alt text audits alongside content updates. This is especially important for infographics with time-sensitive data or information that changes often. Keep in mind that roughly 15% of users depend on accurate alt text due to visual impairments, making these updates not just an SEO tactic but also an important step for accessibility [2].
Use Tools Like Text to Infographic for Better Infographics
Text to Infographic is an AI-driven tool that simplifies creating infographics while ensuring your visuals are optimized for search engines and include high-quality alt text.
How Text to Infographic Works
This tool uses AI to transform plain text into polished infographics in no time. It includes features like automatic topic research, multi-language support, and brand customization to make your content creation process easier and more effective.
The platform takes care of the design work, so you can focus on crafting content that’s visually appealing and optimized for search engines.
| Feature | SEO Benefit |
|---|---|
| Automatic Topic Research | Helps ensure your visuals include relevant keywords for better optimization |
| Multi-language Support | Makes it easier to optimize infographics for a global audience |
| Brand Customization | Keeps your visuals aligned with your brand identity |
SEO Advantages of Text to Infographic
This tool is designed with SEO in mind, offering several helpful features:
- Smart keyword identification: Pinpoints the most relevant keywords specifically for infographic content.
- Streamlined optimization: Highlights phrases that can boost your content's visibility in search results.
"When choosing alt text, focus on creating useful, information-rich content that uses keywords appropriately and is in context of the content of the page." - Google Images best practices
Conclusion: Improve SEO with Better Alt Text
Optimizing alt text for your infographics can boost both accessibility and online visibility. With 20.45% of all searches being image-based [3], crafting effective alt text is a smart way to enhance your content's reach.
The key lies in combining clear descriptions with strategic keyword use. Aim to keep your alt text under 125 characters - this ensures it's easy for screen readers to process while search engines can grasp your content's context [1][3].
Here’s a quick look at how five strategies can improve both SEO and accessibility:
| Strategy | SEO Impact | Accessibility Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Clear & Relevant Descriptions | Boosts image search rankings | Offers accurate content context |
| Strategic Keyword Usage | Improves search relevance | Maintains a natural reading flow |
| Concise Text Length | Helps with indexing efficiency | Avoids screen reader cutoffs |
| Empty Alt Text for Decorative Images | Prevents unnecessary indexing | Simplifies navigation |
| Regular Updates | Keeps content relevant | Ensures accuracy for all users |
For example, if your infographic on '2023 marketing trends' changes to '2024 trends,' update the alt text to reflect the new data. This keeps your content accurate and aligned with search engine algorithms.
"When choosing alt text, focus on creating useful, information-rich content that uses keywords appropriately and is in context of the content of the page." - Google Images best practices [1]
Alt text should strike a balance: it needs to be descriptive enough for users while incorporating relevant keywords for search engines. This approach ensures your content is accessible, inclusive, and easier to discover online [2][4].
FAQs
"When choosing alt text, focus on creating useful, information-rich content that uses keywords appropriately and is in context of the content of the page." - Google Images best practices [3]
How long should alt text be for SEO?
Keep alt text under 125 characters. This length ensures screen readers can read it fully without cutting off, making it easier for visually impaired users to understand. Plus, concise alt text helps maintain clarity and supports SEO efforts [1][3]. Remember, the way you include keywords in alt text is just as important as its length.
What's the best way to include keywords in alt text?
Incorporate keywords naturally into descriptive phrases. Avoid stuffing keywords, as it can hurt your SEO [3]. For example: "Infographic showing 5 SEO trends for 2024, including organic traffic growth and page speed."
Should decorative elements have alt text?
If an element is purely decorative, use empty alt text (alt=""). This allows screen readers to skip over it, focusing only on meaningful content. It also helps search engines prioritize relevant information [1][5].
How often should I update infographic alt text?
Update alt text whenever the infographic changes, target keywords evolve, or accessibility improvements are needed. Regular updates should align with your SEO strategy, like content audits or keyword adjustments, to maintain visibility and accessibility [1][5].