The alt tag (or alt text) and the description tag (or image description) serve different purposes, although both are used to describe images:
1. Alt Tag (Alternative Text)
- Purpose: Provides a text alternative for images if the image cannot be displayed or for users who rely on screen readers.
- Primary Use: Used for accessibility (screen readers) and SEO purposes.
- Where It’s Shown: Displayed when the image fails to load, or read aloud by screen readers for visually impaired users.
- Content: Should be concise and descriptive, focusing on what is visually important about the image.
- SEO Impact: Helps search engines understand what the image is about, contributing to the image’s visibility in image searches.
Example of alt text:"Young girl wearing pink butterfly wings with a wand, facing away."
2. Image Description (Description Tag)
- Purpose: Provides a more detailed explanation or context for the image.
- Primary Use: Can be used for SEO but is more often helpful for users to understand the purpose or background of the image.
- Where It’s Shown: Often found in image galleries, as a caption, or in a separate section below the image in web content.
- Content: Can be longer and more detailed, offering additional context about the image beyond just what’s shown visually. It might include historical background, relevance to the content, or details about what’s happening in the image.
- SEO Impact: It contributes to the webpage’s overall SEO but is not as crucial as the alt text for specific image SEO.
Example of an image description:"A child dressed as a butterfly, wearing bright pink wings, playfully holds a butterfly-shaped wand. This image captures a fun, imaginative moment."
Key Differences:
- Alt Tag is primarily for accessibility and should be brief and to the point.
- Image Description can provide more context and background, potentially being longer and more detailed.
Both can enhance the user experience and contribute to SEO, but they have distinct roles in how they serve users and search engines.