How to write alt text, with examples
Real examples for product photos, charts, logos, icons and decorative images.
Why it matters
Accessibility and SEO: where they overlap, and where they don't
Search engines and AI assistants read your website much like a screen reader does: through the code, not the pixels. That’s why so many accessibility practices also make content easier to find.
First, the honest part
Google has said accessibility, as such, is not a direct ranking factor, and a Lighthouse accessibility score doesn’t feed into rankings. But many of the signals that do matter are the same things accessibility requires. The overlap is real; the shortcut isn’t.
Where accessibility and SEO overlap
| Accessibility practice | Why it helps search |
|---|---|
| Descriptive, unique page titles (WCAG 2.4.2) | The title is the most visible element in search results |
| A logical heading structure (1.3.1) | Helps crawlers and AI systems understand topics and extract answers |
| Alt text on meaningful images (1.1.1) | Image search, and context for the surrounding content |
| Descriptive link text (2.4.4) | Anchor text tells search engines what the target page is about |
| Captions and transcripts (1.2.x) | Make video and audio content indexable as text |
| Semantic HTML and landmarks | Cleaner, more parseable pages |
| Language declared (3.1.1) | Correct language and regional targeting |
| Responsive reflow and readable text (1.4.4, 1.4.10) | Mobile-friendly pages and good page experience |
| Plain language and clear structure | Content people stay and engage with |
| Accessible HTML instead of PDFs | Web pages are easier to index, link and keep current than PDFs |
Accessibility and AI search
AI assistants and answer engines lift facts, steps and definitions from pages that are clearly structured: real headings, real lists, real tables, concise answers to questions. Content locked in images, untagged PDFs or JavaScript-only widgets is harder for any machine to use — assistive technology included.
Where they diverge
- Don’t stuff keywords into alt text. It makes images useless to screen reader users and can be treated as spam.
- Don’t hide text “for SEO.” Visually hidden text is fine for accessibility labels, but hiding keyword blocks is a spam risk.
- ARIA doesn’t help SEO. It’s for assistive technology. Use native HTML first.
The takeaway
Build accessible pages because people need them. You’ll get cleaner, faster, better-structured pages that search engines and AI systems understand more easily — as a side effect, not a trick.
Find out where you stand, in writing.
Send us a few URLs or sample PDFs. Within two business days you get a free, plain-English snapshot of your biggest accessibility risks and what it takes to fix them.