One of the most overlooked parts of running a photography website isn’t your images themselves.

It’s the tiny descriptions sitting quietly behind them.

Alt text.

And while it may sound overly technical at first, alt text is actually one of the simplest ways photographers can improve both website accessibility and SEO at the same time.

Because as beautiful as your imagery may be, Google can’t actually see photographs the way humans do.

Alt text helps bridge that gap.

What Is Alt Text?

Alt text, short for “alternative text,” is a short written description attached to an image on your website.

Its purpose is twofold:

helping screen readers describe images for visually impaired users
helping search engines better understand what your images contain

In simple terms, alt text tells both Google and people using accessibility tools what’s happening inside the image.

And for photographers especially, that matters a lot.

Why Alt Text Matters For Photography Websites

Photography websites rely heavily on imagery, often far more than text-heavy businesses do.

Without alt text, search engines have very little understanding of what your photographs actually contain. Which means you’re missing opportunities for:

image SEO
Google visibility
accessibility
user experience
local search ranking

Good alt text helps your website become more searchable while also making your work accessible to a wider audience.

And honestly? Accessibility should never be an afterthought.

Alt Text Helps Your SEO

This is usually the part photographers care about most initially.

Search engines can crawl text, not imagery.

So when you upload a newborn gallery with filenames like:
IMG_4827.jpg

…Google has almost no idea what’s inside that image unless you tell it.

Adding descriptive alt text helps search engines understand:

what’s in the image
where it was photographed
the type of session
relevant keywords connected to your business

For example:

❌ Bad alt text:

baby photo

✔ Better alt text:

Gold Coast newborn photography session with sleeping baby wrapped in neutral linen

See the difference?

One tells Google almost nothing.

The other naturally supports your newborn photography SEO without sounding robotic or stuffed with keywords.

Accessibility Matters Too

Alt text isn’t only about ranking higher on Google.

It also helps people using screen readers understand the content and meaning of your images.

For visually impaired users, screen readers read alt text aloud to describe what’s appearing on the page. Without it, they may completely miss important visual storytelling throughout your website.

As photographers, our work is rooted in emotion, storytelling, and connection.

Making that experience more accessible matters.

How To Write Better Alt Text

The best alt text feels natural and descriptive without becoming overly complicated.

A few simple guidelines:

describe the image clearly
include relevant details naturally
keep it relatively concise
avoid keyword stuffing
don’t repeat information unnecessarily

Good alt text often includes:

who or what is in the image
the type of session
location if relevant
mood or setting

For example:

✔

Couple embracing during maternity session at Fingal Cliffs in Northern NSW

✔

Baby girl smiling during first birthday cake smash photography session on the Gold Coast

✔

Woman photographed in soft natural light during intimate boudoir session

Simple. Clear. Helpful.

Common Alt Text Mistakes Photographers Make

One of the biggest mistakes photographers make is treating alt text like hidden keyword dumping.

Google is smarter than that now.

Avoid things like:
❌

Gold Coast photographer newborn photography maternity photography cake smash photography family photography

That doesn’t help users or search engines.

Instead, focus on writing naturally descriptive image descriptions that support the actual content of the photograph.

Another common mistake is skipping alt text entirely, especially on galleries.

And honestly? Gallery images are often some of the most valuable SEO opportunities on a photographer website.

Alt Text & User Experience

Alt text also helps when images fail to load correctly.

Instead of visitors seeing a blank missing image box, they’ll still receive context about what should be there, helping the overall browsing experience feel smoother and more intentional.

Small details like this quietly improve the professionalism and usability of your website overall.

The Small SEO Task That Makes A Big Difference

Alt text feels tiny.

And honestly, it’s not the most glamorous part of running a photography business.

But over time, consistently adding thoughtful alt text across your galleries, blog posts, and pages helps strengthen:

accessibility
image SEO
Google indexing
local search visibility
user experience

And for photographers building long-term organic SEO growth, those small improvements matter.

A lot.

Building your photography website?

Behind the Lens explores photography websites, SEO, client experience, editing, and the systems that quietly shape a creative business behind the scenes.

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