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How To Write Alt Tags For SEO

At a Glance: 

  • Alt tags describe images for both search engines and users with screen readers.
  • Well-written alt text improves SEO, accessibility, and user experience.
  • Search engines use alt tags to understand page content and boost visibility in image search.
  • When writing alt tags, avoid keyword stuffing. Keep alt text natural, relevant, and descriptive.
  • Regular audits with an SEO agency or tools like Screaming Frog or Semrush ensure your images stay optimized.

Have you ever hovered over an image and seen a tiny line of text pop up? Noticed a blank box where an image should be, but with a short description instead? That’s an alt tag quietly at work.

If your website doesn’t have alt tags for images, you’re missing out on a double win: better search visibility and stronger accessibility. Alt tags (also called alt text or image descriptions) tell Google and people using screen readers what an image is showing.

It’s one of those behind-the-scenes details that can amp up your SEO and make your website more inclusive…if you do it right.

Let’s break down what an alt tag is, why it matters, and how to write one that works well for humans and search engines.

What Is an Alt Tag, and What Does It Do for SEO?

An alt tag (short for “alternative text”) is a short written description that lives in your image’s HTML code. Its original purpose was to make the web more accessible for users with visual impairments: screen readers read the text aloud so users understand what’s in an image.

But alt tags also serve another role: helping search engines see your images. Because Google can’t interpret images the way people do, it relies on text cues—like your image alt tag—to understand what the picture represents and how it fits into your page’s content.

That information becomes part of how Google decides when and where your page should appear in search results. Well-optimized alt tags and SEO go hand in hand:

  • They provide context for your page content. When your alt text aligns with your topic or keywords, it strengthens your on-page SEO.
  • They make your images eligible for Google Image Search. Images can drive real traffic, and those visitors often convert because they’re searching visually for what you offer.
  • They improve indexing accuracy. Alt tags help search engines understand how visuals relate to surrounding text, which can reinforce your authority on a topic.

In short, do image alt tags help SEO? Absolutely. Google’s bots crawl them, index them, and use them to evaluate page relevance. The better your descriptions, the clearer the picture Google gets of your content.

Why Alt Tags Are Also a Must for Website Accessibility

Alt tag SEO and search visibility are important, but accessibility is non-negotiable. Alt tags make websites usable for everyone, including people who rely on assistive technology.

Screen readers announce alt text aloud, describing images that sighted users can see. Without it, that content simply disappears for anyone who can’t view the image.

Writing accurate, helpful alt text supports website accessibility and helps your site meet website accessibility standards. It’s a key step toward maintaining an ADA compliant website. 

Done right, alt tags don’t just boost SEO. They create a better, more inclusive experience for all users.

How to Write Effective Alt Tags

Proof Digital project page showing Learn More Indiana website redesign with circled alt text

Writing effective alt text is about clarity, not creativity. Think of it as writing for two audiences: people using assistive technology and search engines crawling your content.

Start by describing what’s in the image and why it matters in context. Keep it short (ideally 5–15 words), and focus on relevance. If the image supports a keyword, work it in naturally. Don’t force it.

A few quick examples:

  • Bad: red shoes sale best shoes buy now (keyword stuffing)
  • Better: pair of red running shoes on a white background
  • Best: Nike Air Zoom red running shoes for women (clear, descriptive, and keyword-relevant)

That’s the balance you’re after: specific, readable, and useful. That’s alt tag best practices in action.

Remember, avoid starting with “image of” or “photo showing.” Screen readers already know it’s an image. Instead, jump straight to the description.

Implementation Tips That Make a Difference

Adding alt tags isn’t complicated, but consistency is everything.

Start by auditing your media library. Identify missing or low-quality alt text and update it with meaningful, descriptive text. Tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider and Semrush’s Site Audit can help; both offer free versions or trials. Screaming Frog lets you crawl up to 500 URLs for free, and Semrush provides detailed insights into missing or duplicate alt tags as part of its on-page SEO checks.

Accessibility and audit tools like WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool or Siteimprove can also help you catch alt tag gaps tied to website accessibility, which is as important as the SEO side.

Next, use logical, descriptive filenames before uploading (instead of “IMG_1234.jpg”). Tailor alt text to match the image’s role on each page. A photo of a businesswoman speaking might have one alt tag on your “Leadership” page and a subtly different one on your “Strategic Planning” blog post, each reflecting its contextual function.

Be careful not to duplicate alt tags across images, avoid keyword stuffing, and set a regular review schedule. Over time, these small, disciplined tweaks turn into stronger SEO alt tag performance and a site that’s more inclusive for all your users.

Ready to Strengthen Your Site’s Visibility and Accessibility?

Alt tags might seem like a small part of web optimization, but they’re necessary and effective. They help search engines understand your content, make your site more discoverable, and help maintain ada compliance for websites.

Following alt tag best practices is one of the easiest SEO tips you can implement. If you’re looking for a quick, meaningful impact, start with alt tags. 

Need help auditing your site to see if your alt tags are optimized for every page? Curious how they fit into your broader SEO services strategy? Talk to Proof Digital.

FAQs

What is an alt tag?

An alt tag (or alt text) is a short description of an image that helps both users and search engines understand what’s displayed.

Do image alt tags help SEO?

Yes. Alt tags for SEO provide Google with context about your visuals, improving your chances of ranking in both search and image results.

How do alt tags help with search visibility?

Search engines can’t “see” images; they read alt text to identify what the image is about. That data helps Google connect your visuals to user searches, boosting your visibility.

How long should an alt tag be

Aim for 5–15 words: long enough to describe the image, short enough to stay concise.

How do alt tags improve website accessibility?

Screen readers use alt text to describe images for visually impaired users, making your site more inclusive and accessible.

What’s the difference between an alt tag and an image caption?

Alt tags live in the HTML code for SEO and accessibility. Captions are visible on the page and mainly for user context or design.

What are alt tag best practices?

Be concise, use relevant keywords naturally, and focus on accurately describing the image’s content and purpose.

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Brie, Prosciutto, and Fig Jam Puff Pastry Bites

Growing up, holiday cooking wasn’t exactly a grand affair in my family. Sure, we had good meals—consistent, comforting, and filling. But with just the five of us around the table, there weren’t any big traditional recipes passed down or an overwhelming spread of sides we couldn’t finish. The holidays were cozy and simple, but they didn’t revolve around elaborate culinary traditions.

In my recent step into independent adulthood, I’ve experienced my fair share of new responsibilities—some I love, others I wish my mom still handled. Among those I love? Cooking. Experimenting with new recipes is often the highlight of my day.

Last year, I attended my first Friendsgiving and decided to contribute a dish—a chance to flex my budding skills. I’m a bit of a charcuterie board fanatic, so I found a baked variation that features some of my favorite typical elements.

This recipe is perfect for Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, Christmas, dinner parties, or really any gathering where you want to impress without overcomplicating things (my forte).

Ingredients:

  • 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
  • 4 oz brie cheese, cut into small cubes
  • 3-4 slices of prosciutto, torn into smaller pieces
  • 1/4 cup fig jam
  • 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
  • Fresh rosemary or thyme (optional, for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Puff Pastry:
    • Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
    • Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the puff pastry sheet into a slightly larger rectangle.
    • Cut the pastry into 12 equal squares.
  2. Assemble the Bites:
    • Place each pastry square into a mini muffin tin, pressing lightly to form a small cup.
    • Add a cube of brie to the center of each pastry square.
    • Top with a small dollop of fig jam (about 1/2 teaspoon).
    • Add a piece of prosciutto on top of the jam.
  3. Add Finishing Touches:
    • Brush the edges of the puff pastry with the beaten egg for a golden finish.
    • If desired, sprinkle with a pinch of fresh rosemary or thyme for added flavor.
  4. Bake:
    • Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown and puffed up.
  5. Serve:
    • Let the bites cool for a few minutes before removing them from the tin.
    • Serve and enjoy!

Chicken and Noodles

This is my mom’s recipe that she makes every Thanksgiving. It is a family favorite on both my mom’s and dad’s side of the family. She makes it every year.

Ingredients

  • 3-4 chicken breasts
  • Broth from the crockpot
  • 1 (32 oz) carton of chicken broth
  • 1 packet of Lipton onion soup
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 (24 oz) package of Reames Frozen Homestyle Egg Noodles
  • A few drops of yellow food coloring

Instructions:

  1. Cook the chicken in a crockpot for 4-6 hours.
  2. Once the chicken is done, shred it and place it in a large pot.
  3. Add the broth from the crockpot and the 32 oz carton of chicken broth to the pot.
  4. Stir in the Lipton onion soup mix, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Cook for 1.5 to 2 hours.
  6. Add the frozen egg noodles and a few drops of yellow food coloring.
  7. Continue to cook on low for 40 minutes, until the noodles are tender and fully cooked.

Winnie's Sweet Potato Casserole

Recipe Title: Winnie’s Sweet Potato Casserole

My Grandma Winnie made the best sweet potato casserole. Every holiday each person in the family would fight over who got the corners because they came with more toppings and we always requested a double batch. The recipe has been passed down for generations and the original recipe card has quite a few sweet potato stains. 

NOTE: this recipe calls for A LOT OF MARGARINE! While we love margarine, we actually do advise to cut down the butter a little or it gets runny.

Casserole

  • 1 large or 2 small cans of sweet potatoes, drained
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅓ cup margarine
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs

Mix with mixer and add to 8×8 dish

Topping

  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup flour
  • ⅓ cup margarine
  • ⅓ pecans
  • Mix all of the ingredients with a spoon
  • Crumble all of the topping over the casserole

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes

 

Indulgent Cheesy Potatoes

Thanksgiving brings on many traditions from family-to-family. Dishes are often requested, and even downright demanded if they’re good enough. This is one such dish that cannot be left out in our Thanksgiving gatherings each year. We even have to make two batches to tame the “leftover wars”.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Bag of frozen shredded hashbrowns
  • 1 16 oz. container of sour cream
  • 1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
  • 8 oz mild cheddar cheese
  • 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 Stick of butter, melted

Directions:

In large crockpot, add frozen potatoes, sour cream, can of soup, and top with cheddar cheeses. Melt 1 stick of butter and pour all over ingredients. Stir thoroughly. Set crockpot on high for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally. Let cool 15 minutes in crockpot before serving.

Note: Some recipes call for thawing frozen potatoes before preparing. I have found that using the potatoes directly from the freezer provides a little better texture. Ensure that the cheeses are shredded or grated.

Also, you might consider a crockpot liner to help reduce intense clean up once you’ve finished with the dish.

Easy Chicken & Homemade Noodles

I was browsing chicken & noodle recipes on Zaar, but there aren’t many with homemade noodles & IMHO that’s the best part. I am posting the current evolution of my mother’s (my grandmother’s) recipe before I start to forget it. The flour amounts are not specific because it’s always different. I just add more as needed to keep the dough workable. Sometimes I use cans of herbed chicken broth or substitute seasoned salt for the regular salt. This is a recipe from memory & I am constantly making little changes to it, but it’s always satisfying at the table. Comfort food at it’s best. Simple, filling & especially good on a cold winter day. Don’t let the length of instructions intimidate. This is very easy, I’m just very detailed. I hope you will give it a try.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1⁄2 – 4 cups flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 4 -5 tablespoons milk salt & pepper
  • 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth
  • 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup (or vary flavor by using cream of celery, onion, or mushroom soup in place of the chicken)
  • 10 3⁄4 ounces water (optional, if needed)
  • 4 -6 cups mashed potatoes (optional, for serving)

Directions

  1. In large stock pot, combine chicken, salt & water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover & simmer til chicken is fully cooked.
  2. While chicken cooks, combine eggs & salt in mixing bowl (I use a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, but it can be mixed by hand with a fork) & beat eggs slightly. Gradually add flour & milk to eggs & continue mixing until the flour is incorporated & dough is no longer sticky to the touch. Slightly more or less flour may be necessary, depending on the size of your eggs.
  3. When dough is ready, form into a ball & turn out onto a well floured surface. Knead by hand a few times, adding more flour if it gets sticky again. Pat into a round & then roll out into a large rectangle about 12×15 or so & 1/4 inch thick. Be sure to flip dough often, keeping it well floured so it doesn’t stick.
  4. Starting at a short end, use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 1/4 inch wide (or smaller)strips. (To do the cutting with a sharp knife: flour the top of your rectangle, roll up jelly roll style & slice into 1/8 inch spirals.) When all strips are cut, unroll if needed & toss them with enough flour to keep them from sticking together. Spread noodles out in a single layer on your rolling surface & leave to dry a bit while you are finishing the chicken.
  5. When chicken is cooked, remove to a cutting board, (discarding the water it was cooked in) & use two forks to shred it into bite-sized lengths.
  6. Add the chicken broth to the stock pot & bring broth & water to a boil.
  7. Add noodles & whatever flour is with them to the boiling pot.
  8. Add the shredded chicken & stir gently. Reduce heat to low to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
  9. Add the cream of chicken soup & stir well. If this makes the mixture too thick, add enough of the optional water to make your desired consistency. we like it a bit stew-like, but still thin enough to look like gravy on mashed potatoes.
  10. Simmer all for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until noodles are tender. Timing really depends on how thick your noodles are cut. We like them a little on the thick side. Serve over mashed potatoes.

 

Pear and Brie Crostini

Pear and Brie Crostini

Note: I love appetizers…I’m not a huge fan of meals, so I always bring at least 3 apps for Thanksgiving (or any other event to be honest). This is one of my favorites, and always popular.

Ingredients:

  • 1 French baguette sliced ½ inch thick
  • Brie cheese thinly sliced, rind removed
  • 2 pears halved, cored, and thinly sliced
  • Honey
  • Fresh rosemary or thyme leaves

 

Instructions

  1. Turn on the oven to broil. Place the baguette slices on a large baking sheet. Lightly brush each side with EVOO and broil (around 2-6 minutes depending on the oven) until slightly crispy, and then flip each slice and repeat. Remove the baking sheet from the oven.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place one slice of cheese on each baguette slice. Bake slices in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until the brie is melted. Remove from oven
  3. While the baguette slices are baking thinly slice pear to fit the baguette slices.
  4. Place a slice of pear on top of each baguette slice. Drizzle lightly with either honey or balsamic glaze and garnish with fresh thyme or rosemary (I usually do thyme and honey but either is yum).

 

 

Golden Corn Soufflé

I’m a corn gal through and through. Though I’ve lived the majority of my years in Chicago, I grew up in a very small, very rural downstate farming community where the entire village was surrounded by cornfields. Heck, my first job was detasseling corn for local seed companies (where in my second season, I was awarded “Super Puller” – a prize that came with a green trucker hat that displayed my new title on the front in puffy Cooper Black font). Despite all of that, I don’t remember growing up with a ton of fresh veggies. It was the 70s and 80s, and there was only one store in town. The fresh produce was really hit-or-miss, so we relied on lots of cans and preserves.

That’s what makes this dish so great – it’s made entirely of things you probably already have in your pantry. This super easy side dish is like cornbread’s slightly sweet, satisfyingly savory, spoonable cousin. In fact, when I’ve taken it to potlucks in the past, others have said they’d call it “spoonbread”. That’s acceptable! In my family, we’ve never really had a name for it except “corn casserole”, but I feel like that’s boring and inadequate considering the bang for the buck and minimal effort resulting in this consistent crowd-pleaser. So I tasked AI to help me come up with a new name. These are the impressive results after feeding the recipe to ChatGPT.

So without further ado, I present you with Golden Corn Soufflé. Image credit: ME!

Golden Corn Soufflé

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • ½ C sour cream
  • ½ C vegetable oil
  • 1 16oz can of whole kernel corn
  • 1 16oz can of cream-style corn
  • 1 package of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
  • 3 T chopped green onion
  • 1 C shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Beat eggs, then mix in sour cream and oil until well combined
  3. Fold in the rest of the ingredients
  4. Pour into a greased 2 ½ quart casserole dish (3 quart or 9×13” pan will work in a pinch)
  5. Bake for 45 min

Casserole will be puffed up when you pull it out of the oven, but will collapse into a more dense, scoopable consistency after resting for 20-30 min. Fantastic as leftovers too!

Chocolate Roll

I have the best dessert recipe! It started with my Grandma Feldman who lived in Greensburg, Indiana. She lived during the depression and was a widow with young children. She was frugal! She made most everything from scratch. Everything always tasted so good. One of the all time favorites was her chocolate roll. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas she would make two or three so everyone could have one piece, and sometimes if we were lucky, there might be a second piece available to snatch up. Now my mom has taken on the tradition. She makes it just like my grandma made it. It is not easy to make and therefore not made very often, but my goodness it is awesome!

See photos of the well used chocolate roll recipe pictures.

Chocolate Roll

Mix

  • 5 egg yolks (keep egg whites for later) – beat well
  • Add  ½ cup powdered sugar
  • Beat well until light and lemon colored
  • Separately from above, sift 2 tablespoons of cocoa and 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of flour
  • Once sifted mix with egg yolk mixture
  • Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into egg yolk mixture

Bake

  • Greased and flour wax paper on a cookie sheet
  • Bake at 350° for 5 – 7 minutes
  • Pull off the wax paper while rolling the mixture in a thin kitchen towel while it is still warm
  • Unroll the chocolate roll and add whipped cream, then roll it back into a roll with no kitchen towel

Get ready to slice it and enjoy!!

 

Bednarek Recipes

Pictured are my great-grandparents who immigrated to the South Side of Chicago from Prussian Poland.

G-Gpa opened a meat shop to feed his family (Bednarek Sausage Co, now known as Slotkowski sausage, which is still found in stores today).

G-Gma baked sweet treats and pastries to keep said family happy.

This is the inspiration behind the Bednarek (my maiden name) Thanksgiving and Christmas (and honestly any other family get-together) tradition.

So here I share two, deeply rooted Polish recipes. The first, kiełbasa (Polish sausage). G-Gpa made this all the time, selling it at markets and in delis all over Chicago, but he never measured. This is the closest we can get to replicating his.

The second, kolachky (Polish cookies). G-Gma ALWAYS measured. So this is exact.

Both are a pain in the dupa to make.

Kiełbasa

  • 10 lbs. pork butts (also called Boston butt – it’s actually the shoulder butt, not the hind end), trimmed and cut up
  • 5 tablespoons Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (a little more won’t hurt) freshly ground black pepper
  • Add 3 or 4 large cloves fresh garlic
  • 1 scant tablespoon marjoram
  • 2 cups ice water

 

Run trimmed reserved fat through the ―fine plate on the grinder (pork butts have the perfect ratio of fat to meat, so don’t trim out the fat. (If you do, you’ll wind up with dry, flavorless sausage). Keep the meat as cold as possible.

Add the seasonings to the ice water and stir; then mix it into the meat.

Sausage is thirsty: it might seem wet when you first mix it, but come back in an hour or so and you’ll find that all the water’s been absorbed.

Let sit overnight before stuffing the meat into casings.

There are many ways to cook Kielbasa and each method is appropriate for a given set of end characteristics. The following method is quick and easy, but still provides optimal flavor and texture characteristics.

Be sure to bring the internal temperature of the sausage up to 165 degrees F. This is most easily done by bringing enough liquid* to cover the kielbasa and bring to a boil. (* adding spices, onions and/or beer to water is an optional way to add flavor!)

Reduce heat and simmer this for 30-45min until you reach 165 degrees internal temperature continue cooking for desired tenderness.

Serve with sauerkraut or kapusta.

Kolachky

  1. 8 Oz cream cheese
  2. 8 Oz butter
  3. 2 cups flour
  4. 1 tsp baking powder
  5. 2 tablespoons sugar.
  6. Fruit filling (raspberry, cherry, apple, and/or my favorite: apricot)

 

  1. Mix cream cheese and butter together
  2. Gradually add flour, sugar, and baking powder.
  3. Refrigerate after all blended.
  4. When ready to roll let dough come to room temp for easier to roll.
  5. Once rolled TIN TIN TIN (thin) as G-Gma would say, cut into sections.
  6. Fill each section with fruit filling, and pinch opposite corners together
  7. Bake 350 in oven 10 to 15 min.
  8. Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar

 

Kristin’s Famous Pumpkin Pie

  • One 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (I like Libbys)
  • ¾ c. Sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp cornstarch
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice
  • ¼ tsp ground mace
  • 1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cups whole milk (can change it out for low fat if you choose)
  • 2 extra large farm fresh eggs

 

1 unbaked 9-inches pie crust (see below for recipe)

  1. Preheat the oven to 450℉.
  2. Put the pumpkin, sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, allspice mace, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Paddle at low-medium speed for approximately 2 minutes.
  3. With the motor running, pour in the milk in two additions. Stop the motor, scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, restart, and paddle for an additional 2 minutes. Add the eggs and paddle until absorbed, approximately 2 additional minutes.
  4. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch pie crust in a pan and bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375℉ and bake until a finger dabbed onto the surface emerges clean, 30 – 40 minutes.
  5. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool for 1 – 2 hours

 

Slice and serve with lots of Cool Whip

Pie Crust

  • ⅔ c of lard
  • 2 c. all purpose flour, plus more for flouring your work surface
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 5 – 7 tbsp of ice water (depending on how humid it is)

 

Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Cut in the lard with pastry blender, two knives or blending fork until pieces are the size of small peas.  Add cold water a few drops at a time until particles just hold together. Press together lightly to form a ball. Chill for easier handling. Divide pastry in half, roll pastry ⅛ inch thick and line the pie pan. Trim ½ inch beyond the edge and fold under, flute the edge of the pastry.

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