{"id":2657,"date":"2019-11-27T15:00:32","date_gmt":"2019-11-27T13:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/?p=2657"},"modified":"2020-08-02T02:41:13","modified_gmt":"2020-08-02T00:41:13","slug":"image-titles-and-alt-text-in-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/image-titles-and-alt-text-in-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Add Image Titles and Alt Text in WordPress"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]These days, people are more reliant on visuals than ever. We are accustomed to being bombarded with images to the point that when we encounter content that is strictly textual, we feel like something is off and we are less likely to engage with it. Websites are trying their best to provide the perfect images to complement their message, whether it\u2019s their own material or images obtained from stock photo websites<\/a>. But they often forget one thing, and that is to make sure the images are equipped with the right metadata<\/strong>, specifically \u2013 image title and alt text<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]If you feel like this might be the case with you and your blog, read on and find out why image metadata is important and how to add it to your images.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”68px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

What is Image Metadata<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Generally speaking, metadata is \u201cdata about data.\u201d It is the kind of information that provides additional insight into a piece of information<\/strong>. It explains it and elaborates it. Metadata has many purposes but in websites it is mostly used for search engine optimization<\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]When we talk about image metadata, we are mainly talking about two things: alt text and image title<\/strong>. Like we said, image metadata is something that many admins forget to do, or simply don\u2019t realize how important it is. Unfortunately, that often costs them the ranking. Setting up image metadata is very easy and can take you a long way, since search engines actually look at this data and add it to the mixture of information about your website that they use to decide on its ranking.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”72px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Alt Text<\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Alt text or alternate text is a HTML attribute<\/strong> that we add to an image tag. It is displayed in the image container in situations when the image itself cannot be displayed or cannot be found<\/strong>. It provides information on what the image represents. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”]

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\n \"Alt <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”82px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Image Title<\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Image title is basically the name of your image<\/strong>. Like alt text, it lets users and search engines know what\u2019s in the picture. Unlike alt text, the image title is not displayed when the image is missing or not loaded properly. Instead, it is displayed when the user hovers their mouse over the image<\/strong>. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”]

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\n \"Image <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”38px”][vc_column_text]In addition to the alt text and image title, you can also provide more information about your images using captions and descriptions. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]A caption<\/strong> represents an explanation or description of an image. It is usually displayed right below the image. Captions are always a welcome addition to a post because of their descriptive and explanatory nature. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]A description<\/strong> is useful if you set your images to have their own attachment pages that users can access. The description you input for an image will be displayed there, along with other data, providing additional insight into the content. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”68px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Why Metadata Matters<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]As we already mentioned, image metadata, especially alt text and image title, is very important for SEO and for better visibility of your website. Here\u2019s why: this data literally spells out to search engines what your images represent and what they\u2019re about. Search engines can\u2019t \u201csee\u201d images in their visual form<\/strong>, so we need to help them understand what it is that the users are seeing. And that\u2019s precisely what alt text does. Also, metadata is important for better accessibility<\/strong> of your website for users with special needs or those with poor network connections, devices that don\u2019t display images, and so on. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]As for how to write your metadata, the general recommendation is to make sure the text is useful, relevant and informational<\/strong>. It should contain keywords but they have to be used in context with the rest of the content, and sparingly. Keyword stuffing is something that users hate and Google penalizes, and that goes for stuffing in the metadata, too.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”28px”][vc_column_text]For instance, if you have an image of a rose, the proper alt text could be \u201cDeep red English rose with dewdrops\u201d or \u201cYellow rose bud on lawn,\u201d depending on the specific image. Of course, you can always just write \u201crose\u201d or \u201cred rose,\u201d but always try to be as descriptive as you can. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”68px”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

How to Add Image Titles and Alt Text<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In case you already have a lot of images on your WordPress website that do not have proper attributes, you should definitely go back right now and fix that. You can check out this step-by-step video walking you through the process, or follow our detailed instructions below. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”41px”][vc_column_text]