What are Alt Tags?
Alt tags, also known as alternative text, are important for search engine optimisation (SEO) as they provide a textual description of images on your website. Wix, website builder, allows you to easily add alt tags to your images, which can improve your website's visibility in search engine results. In this step-by-step guide, we'll explore the best ways to use alt tags on Wix for maximum SEO potential.
Importance of Alt Tags in SEO
Alt tags provide a textual description of images, allowing visually impaired individuals who use screen readers to understand and access the content of your website. By providing alt tags, you make your website more inclusive and accessible to a wider audience.
Search Engine Crawlers: Search engine crawlers rely on text-based information to understand the content of a webpage. Since crawlers cannot interpret images directly, alt tags provide them with valuable information about the image's context and relevance to the webpage. This helps search engines index and rank your website appropriately in search results.
Image Search: Alt tags also play a role in image search results. When users search for specific images on search engines like Google, the alt tags associated with those images help search engines determine their relevance. By optimising alt tags with relevant keywords, you increase the visibility of your images in image search results, potentially driving more organic traffic to your website.
Content Relevance: Alt tags contribute to the overall relevance of your webpage's content. By using descriptive alt tags that accurately reflect the image's subject matter, you provide additional context to search engines about your website content. This can positively impact your website's rankings for relevant keywords and improve the overall SEO performance.
User Experience: Alt tags enhance the user experience by providing a meaningful description of images. This is particularly valuable when images fail to load properly or when users have disabled image display in their browsers. Alt tags ensure that users can still understand the content and context of the images, improving their overall browsing experience on your website.
Overall, alt tags are essential for SEO because they improve website accessibility, aid search engine crawlers in understanding your content, enhance image search visibility, contribute to content relevance, and enhance the user experience. By optimising alt tags, you increase the chances of your website ranking higher in search engine results and attracting relevant organic traffic.
Using Alt Tags in Wix
Step 1: Identify Images Requiring Alt Tags Start by identifying the images on your Wix website that need alt tags. This includes any images you've uploaded directly or those provided by Wix templates. It's important to provide alt tags for all images, especially those that convey important information or are relevant to your website's content.
Step 2: Crafting Descriptive Alt Text When writing alt text, aim to be concise, descriptive, and relevant to the image and surrounding content.
Here are some best practises to follow:
2a. Be Specific: Use specific keywords and phrases that accurately describe the image. For example, instead of using a generic alt tag like "image1.jpg," opt for something like "red roses in a garden."
2b. Provide Context: Consider the context of the image within the page. Include information that adds value to the visitor's understanding of the image. For instance, if the image showcases a product, include the product name, brand, and any relevant details.
2c. Keep It Natural: Avoid keyword stuffing or over-optimisation. Alt text should sound natural and provide helpful information, rather than being solely focused on SEO. Maintain a balance between user experience and optimisation.
2d. Maintain Length: Alt tags should generally be between 5 and 125 characters. Make sure they are long enough to provide meaningful information but not excessively long, as they may be truncated in search results.
Step 3: Adding Alt Tags in Wix
3a. Access the Wix Editor: Log in to your Wix account, navigate to your website's dashboard, and click on the "Edit Site" button. This will launch the Wix Editor, where you can make changes to your website (As image below).
3b. Select the Image: Locate the image you want to add an alt tag to. Click on the image to select it.
3c. Access the Image Settings: In the top toolbar, click on the "Settings" icon (shaped like a gear) that appears when the image is selected. This will open the image settings menu (As image below).
3d. Add the Alt Text: In the image settings menu, find the "Alt Text" field. Enter the descriptive alt tag text that you crafted in Step 3 (As image below).
3e. Save the Changes: Once you've added the alt text, click on the "Done" button or any equivalent option to save your changes. Repeat this process for all the images on your website that require alt tags.
Step 4: Review and Update Alt Tags Regularly SEO is an ongoing process, so it's essential to periodically review and update your alt tags. This can include optimising existing alt tags for better keywords or ensuring the alt text remains relevant to any changes made on your website.
By following these steps and implementing descriptive alt tags for your images in Wix, you can unlock the SEO potential of your website, improve accessibility, and enhance your chances of ranking higher in search engine results.
Note: Remember to save your changes and publish your website for the updated alt tags to take effect.
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