Most small business sites I look at have images with no alt text, or alt text like IMG_2041.jpg. It's a two-minute fix that helps three groups at once: people using screen readers, Google Images, and anyone on a slow connection where the photo doesn't load.
What to write
Describe what's in the picture and why it's there, in one short sentence:
alt="Fresh sourdough loaves on the counter at Rosa's Bakery"alt="Technician fixing a boiler in a customer's kitchen"
If the image is a button or link (like a logo that goes to the homepage), describe what it does: alt="Rosa's Bakery home".
What to skip
- Don't start with "image of" or "picture of"; screen readers already announce it's an image.
- Don't stuff keywords ("best bakery cheap bakery bakery near me"). It reads badly and doesn't help ranking.
- Purely decorative images (background shapes, dividers) should have an empty alt:
alt="", so screen readers skip them.
Quick check
Open your homepage, right-click a few photos, choose Inspect, and look at the alt attribute. If it's missing or a file name, that's your to-do list for the week.
NEXCOD builds fast, mobile-friendly websites for small businesses. Studio page: https://nexcod.vercel.app
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