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Alt text on LinkedIn emerges as a powerful yet often overlooked tool for both accessibility and search engine optimization. While many content creators focus on crafting the perfect post or choosing the right image, adding descriptive alt text can significantly enhance content performance and inclusivity.
Understanding and choosing alt text
Alt text (alternative text) describes images for people who can’t see them. Whether someone uses a screen reader due to visual impairment or your image fails to load, good alt text ensures everyone understands your content’s message.
“You’ve got to think about how you present on every channel,” said Brian Piper on “The Business Storytelling Podcast.” “Even your social media descriptions, the text or the images that you have for your social media banners, all of that can be optimized.”
How to choose alt text
When writing alt text, ask these key questions:
Does the image contain text? If yes, and that text appears nowhere else, include it in the alt text. However, if the text is already visible elsewhere in your post, you can use a brief descriptive alt text instead.
Is the image functional? For images that serve as buttons or links, describe the action rather than the image. For example, an arrow icon that links to the next page should have alt text like “Go to next page” rather than “Right-facing arrow.”
Does the image add meaning? If your image provides important information or context, describe that meaning concisely. For a chart showing quarterly sales growth, focus on the key data points rather than describing every visual element.
Is it purely decorative? If the image serves no functional purpose and adds no additional meaning or information, you can use empty alt text (alt=””) to let screen readers know they can skip it.
The goal isn’t to describe every pixel but to convey the same information and emotion that someone would get from seeing the image. Every little thing that we can do matters when it comes to optimization and accessibility.
For example, instead of writing “Image of a person at a desk,” try “Marketing manager reviewing analytics dashboard on laptop” – this provides context and meaning rather than just describing what’s visually present.
Remember that good alt text serves both accessibility and SEO purposes. It helps your content reach more people while making it more discoverable across different platforms and search engines.
How to add alt text on LinkedIn
The process takes just a few extra seconds:
- Start uploading your image to LinkedIn
- Look for the “Add alt text” button that appears after your image uploads
- Click “Add alt text
- Type your description in the text field – LinkedIn gives you up to 1,000 characters
- Click “Add” to save your alt text
Why bother with alt text on LinkedIn?
Alt text serves multiple crucial purposes on LinkedIn. First, it makes content accessible to people using screen readers. Second, it helps search engines understand images, potentially improving your visibility in search results. LinkedIn’s platform, like many others, uses this information to better categorize and surface your content.
“Every little thing that we can do to get pushed into that top spot matters,” said Brian during an episode of “The Business Storytelling Podcast.” While discussing SEO optimization, Brian emphasized that sometimes just having your keyword phrase included in your alt tag one time could push you to the top.
Best practices for LinkedIn alt text
Keep these guidelines in mind when writing alt text:
Be specific but concise. Describe what’s actually in the image without unnecessary details.
Include relevant keywords naturally. Don’t stuff keywords – instead, incorporate them when they make sense in describing the image.
Think about context. Consider how the image relates to your post’s message and ensure your alt text reflects that connection.
Creating a consistent alt text strategy
While tracking the direct impact of alt text can be challenging, it forms part of a comprehensive SEO strategy. As Brian noted, “You’ve got to constantly monitor, constantly maintain.” This applies to all aspects of content optimization, including alt text.
With the rise of AI and evolving search behaviors, proper alt text becomes even more crucial. Search happens across multiple platforms now, and images play an increasingly important role in how content gets discovered and shared.
Make adding alt text a regular part of your LinkedIn posting routine. This small investment of time can yield significant returns in terms of accessibility and searchability. The effort put into writing good alt text aligns with the broader goal of creating more accessible, findable content.