Is Alt Text Still Relevant in 2025?

Nishtha

February 25, 2025

Alt text (alternative text) has been a fundamental part of web accessibility and SEO for decades. It helps describe images for visually impaired users and enables search engines to understand and rank site with pictures in search results.

However, as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning advance, some people believe that Alt Text is becoming obsolete. Search engines can now analyze pictures better than ever, and AI can auto-generate descriptions.

So, does this mean we no longer need Alt Text? The answer is no. While AI technology is evolving, Alt Text is still crucial for SEO, accessibility, and user experience. In this article, we will explore how Alt Text has changed in 2025, its impact on rankings, and the best practices for using it effectively.

What is Alt Text, and Why Was It Created?

Understanding Alt Text

Alt text, or alternative text, is a short written description of an image. It is added to a website’s code to help people and search engines understand what the picture is about. It is often used by screen readers to describe images to visually impaired users.

For search engines like Google, alt text is also an important ranking factor for images. Since search engines cannot “see” images the way humans do, they rely on alternative text to understand an image’s content and relevance.

Why Was Alt Text Created?

Alternative text for images was first introduced to improve web accessibility. Many users, especially those who are blind or have vision impairments, rely on screen readers to navigate websites. When a screen reader encounters an image, it reads the alternative text aloud, helping users understand the image even if they cannot see it.

Aside from accessibility, alt text was also created to help search engines categorize and index images. In the early days of the internet, search engines relied entirely on text-based content. They could not process pictures effectively, so alt text became the main way to describe an image’s content for search engines.

Early Uses of Alt Text

When websites started using alt description text, it was mainly for technical purposes:

• It helped users with slow internet connections understand images that could not load.
• It improved website accessibility for people with disabilities.
• It allowed search engines to rank images in search results based on their descriptions.

Over time, alternative tags became an SEO tool. Businesses started adding keywords to alt text to rank higher in Google Image Search and drive more visitors to their websites. However, this led to keyword stuffing, where people added too many keywords, making alternative text unnatural and unreadable.

To prevent misuse, Google updated its algorithm to focus on meaningful, user-friendly alt text rather than keyword-heavy descriptions. Today, alternative text is still essential, but it must be relevant and written in a way that improves user experience.

The Evolution of Alt Text: Where Are We in 2025?

How Has Alt Text Changed Over Time?

Alternative text has evolved from being just a text-based description to becoming an integral part of web accessibility, SEO, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven search. While its core function remains the same, new technologies have influenced how it is used.

1. AI and Image Recognition in 2025

Today, AI-powered image recognition has improved significantly. Search engines like Google, Bing, and AI-driven platforms can now analyze pictures more effectively. They use machine learning to recognize objects, colors, and even emotions within a picture.

However, AI is not perfect. It may misinterpret images or fail to understand their context. For example, an AI might recognize a picture of a dog but not understand whether the image is about dog training, pet adoption, or veterinary care. This is why alt attribute text is still necessary—it provides clear and accurate context that AI alone cannot fully capture.

2. Web Accessibility and Legal Compliance

In 2025, governments around the world have enforced stricter web accessibility laws. Organizations must ensure that their websites are accessible to people with disabilities, or they may face legal consequences.

Many countries follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0, which emphasize the importance of alternative text for SEO of images. Businesses that fail to provide proper alt text risk lawsuits, fines, and loss of customers who rely on accessible websites.

3. Core Web Vitals and User Experience (UX)

Google now ranks websites based on Core Web Vitals, which measure page speed, interactivity, and visual stability. Alt text plays a role in improving user experience by ensuring that:

• Users understand an image’s content even if it does not load.
• Screen readers can effectively describe images to visually impaired users.
• Search engines can correctly categorize and display images in relevant searches.

These factors contribute to better website engagement, lower bounce rates, and higher search rankings.

4. AI-Generated Alt Text vs. Human-Written Alt Text

Some platforms now use AI to generate alternative text automatically, making it easier for website owners to add descriptions to pictures. However, AI-generated alternative text is often too generic or inaccurate.

For example, an AI might generate an alt text like “a person sitting at a desk”, while a human can write a more meaningful description like “A marketing professional analyzing SEO data on a laptop”. Human-written alternative text is still more effective for SEO and accessibility.

While AI can assist in writing alternative text, businesses should still review and optimize it manually to ensure it provides the right level of detail and context.

Does Alt Text Still Matter for SEO in 2025?

1. Google’s Latest SEO Guidelines (2025 Update)

Google has confirmed that alternative text remains an important ranking factor for:

• Google Image Search
• Google Discover
• Featured Snippets
• Overall on-page SEO

This means that properly optimized alternative text can help images rank higher in search results, driving more organic traffic to a website.

2. Alt Text Helps Search Engines Understand Images

Even though AI-powered search engines can recognize images, they still rely on image alt text to understand their full meaning. Alternative text provides additional context that AI alone might miss.

For example, a picture of a running shoe could be related to:

• A shoe store selling athletic footwear.
• A blog about marathon training.
• A review of the best running shoes in 2025.

Without alt text, search engines might not understand the image’s purpose, leading to lower rankings or irrelevant search results.

3. Alt Text Increases Website Traffic

Optimized alt text helps images appear in Google Image Search, which can drive a significant amount of traffic to a website. Many users search for images first before clicking on a webpage. By using clear, keyword-rich alternative text, businesses can increase their chances of attracting visitors from image search results.

4. Alt Text Contributes to Voice Search Optimization

More people are using voice search assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa to find information. When users ask for image-based content, search engines rely on alternative text to deliver relevant results.

For example, if someone asks, “Show me pictures of modern office designs,” Google may pull images with well-optimized alt text like “Minimalist office with ergonomic chairs and standing desks.” This makes alternative text essential for voice search optimization.

5. Alt Text Improves Content Ranking Beyond Images

Alt text is not just for images—it also helps with overall content ranking. Websites that use properly optimized alternative text tend to have better engagement, lower bounce rates, and improved on-page SEO. Google considers all these factors when ranking web pages.

Best Practices for Writing Alt Text in 2025

Writing effective Alt Text is more than just adding a few words. It requires clarity, relevance, and strategic keyword placement. Below are some essential Alt text best practices to follow in 2025:

1. Be Descriptive but Concise

Alt Text should provide a clear description of the image without unnecessary details. It should help both search engines and visually impaired users understand what the image represents.

• Do: Use descriptive, meaningful phrases.
• Don’t: Write long paragraphs or vague descriptions.

Alt Text Example: Instead of saying “A person”, write “A digital marketer analyzing SEO reports on a laptop.”

2. Use Relevant Keywords Naturally

Adding keywords to alternative text helps search engines rank your images, but it should be natural and not forced. Avoid keyword stuffing, as it can lead to penalties from Google.

• Do: Include relevant keywords that match the content of the page.
• Don’t: Overuse keywords in an unnatural way.

For instance, if an image is about an SEO tool, instead of writing “SEO, best SEO, SEO rankings, Google SEO”, you should write “SEO specialist using keyword research tools on a laptop.”

3. Keep It Short and to the Point

Alt Text should ideally be under 125 characters. Screen readers may cut off longer descriptions, making it difficult for users to understand the full context.

• Do: Write clear, short descriptions.
• Don’t: Use long, complex sentences.

4. Avoid Phrases Like “Image of” or “Picture of”

Search engines already know that the content is an image, so phrases like “Image of” or “Picture of” are unnecessary.

• Do: Write a description without stating that it’s an image.
• Don’t: Add redundant words.

5. Provide Context When Necessary

If an image conveys a specific emotion, purpose, or action, mention it in the alternative text. This is especially important for product images, infographics, and charts.

• Do: Describe the purpose of the image.
• Don’t: Assume users will understand the context without any explanation.

6. Optimize Functional Images for Accessibility

For buttons, icons, and links, use alternative text that clearly describes their function.

• Do: Use action-oriented text like “Download the free SEO guide.”
• Don’t: Leave alternative text empty or use unclear descriptions like “Click here.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid in 2025

Even though Alt Text is simple to implement, many websites still make common mistakes that can affect SEO and accessibility. Here’s what to avoid:

1. Leaving Alt Text Blank

If an image is important for content or navigation, leaving alternative text blank reduces accessibility and SEO value.

• Why it’s a mistake: Search engines and screen readers won’t understand the image, reducing its ranking potential.
• What to do instead: Always add alternative text for important images like product photos, charts, and infographics.

2. Using Keyword Stuffing

Many websites try to overload alternative Text with keywords, thinking it will boost rankings. Instead, it hurts SEO and makes the content unreadable.

• Why it’s a mistake: Google may penalize the website for keyword stuffing.
• What to do instead: Use one or two relevant keywords naturally.

3. Writing Generic or Vague Alt Text

Many websites use generic descriptions like “Image of a person” or “Company logo”, which don’t provide useful information.

• Why it’s a mistake: It doesn’t help search engines or users understand the image.
• What to do instead: Be specific and descriptive about the image.

4. Using File Names as Alt Text

Some websites automatically use image file names as Alt Text, which is bad for SEO and accessibility.

• Why it’s a mistake: File names like “image123.jpg” or “IMG_456.jpg” don’t describe the image’s content.
• What to do instead: Always write custom alternative text that accurately describes the image.

5. Adding Alt Text to Decorative Images

Not all pictures need Alt Text. Decorative images (like background patterns or design elements) should have empty Alt Text (alt=””) so that screen readers ignore them.

• Why it’s a mistake: Adding unnecessary Alt Text clutters the experience for visually impaired users.
• What to do instead: Use alternative text only for important images that add value to the content.

Future of Alt Text: Will AI Replace It?

1. AI is Improving, But Not Perfect

AI-powered tools can now analyze images and automatically generate alternative text. However, AI-generated descriptions are often inaccurate or lack detail.

For example, an AI tool might describe an image as “A man sitting”, but a human-written description would say “A business professional reviewing an SEO report in an office.” The latter provides more context and improves search rankings.

2. Google Still Prefers Human-Written Alt Text

Although AI is advancing, Google still values human-written picture Alt Text because:

• AI descriptions can be vague or misleading.
• Human-written Alt Text adds context and emotion, which AI cannot fully capture.

3. AI and Human Alt Text Can Work Together

While AI can assist in suggesting Alt Text, website owners should edit and refine these descriptions for better accuracy and SEO impact.

4. Future Trends in Alt Text Optimization

• AI will continue improving, but manual optimization will remain important.
• Google may develop better tools to verify the accuracy of Alt Text.
• Businesses that use both AI and human-written descriptions will have the best SEO results.

Conclusion

The simple answer is yes—Alt Text remains a crucial element in both SEO and web accessibility. Even as AI technology advances, search engines still depend on Alt Text SEO to properly index and rank images. Additionally, web accessibility standards have become stricter than ever, making it essential for businesses to ensure that all users, including those with visual impairments, can access their website content effectively.

From an SEO perspective, alternative text helps search engines understand the content of images, improving their visibility in Google Image Search, Featured Snippets, and overall organic rankings. Websites that correctly implement Alt Text see higher traffic and better engagement, as properly optimized images attract users searching for visual content.

At White Label SEO Providers, we specialize in helping businesses optimize their websites for search engines and user experience. From crafting SEO-friendly Alt Text to implementing comprehensive on-page SEO strategies, our team ensures that your website meets the latest ranking factors while staying compliant with accessibility standards.