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Alt Text for Wollongong Websites: Accessibility, SEO, and Best Practices in 2026
Alternative text (alt text) is one of those technical SEO elements that many Wollongong businesses overlook – until they realise it serves two critical purposes: making your website accessible to people with visual impairments, and helping Google understand what your images show.
Alternative text (alt text) is one of those technical SEO elements that many Wollongong businesses overlook – until they realise it serves two critical purposes: making your website accessible to people with visual impairments, and helping Google understand what your images show.
In 2026, both matter more than ever. Google's algorithms increasingly reward accessible websites, and Australian accessibility requirements are tightening. For Wollongong businesses, getting alt text right isn't just good practice – it's a competitive advantage.
This guide explains what alt text is, why it matters for accessibility and SEO, and how to write effective alt text for your Illawarra business website.
What Is Alt Text?
Alt text (alternative text) is a short written description of an image that appears in the HTML code of your website. It's invisible to sighted users viewing your site normally, but it's read aloud by screen readers for visually impaired users, and it's analysed by search engines like Google to understand image content.
How It Works Technically
In HTML, alt text appears in the "alt" attribute of an image tag:
<img src="/wollongong-harbour.jpg" alt="Wollongong harbour at sunrise with fishing boats and lighthouse visible">
When a screen reader encounters this image, it reads: "Image: Wollongong harbour at sunrise with fishing boats and lighthouse visible."
When Google crawls your page, it uses this text to understand what the image shows and how it relates to your content.
Who Benefits from Alt Text?
👁️ Users with Visual Impairments
Screen reader users (estimated 500,000+ Australians with vision impairment) rely on alt text to understand image content.
🐌 Users with Slow Connections
When images fail to load due to a poor internet connection, alt text displays in place of the image.
🤖 Search Engines
Google, Bing, and other search engines use alt text to understand and index image content for image search and general SEO.
🎯 All Users (Context)
Alt text provides context that helps all users understand the relevance and purpose of images in your content.
Why Alt Text Matters for Wollongong Businesses in 2026
Alt text isn't just a "nice to have" anymore. In 2026, it matters for legal compliance, SEO performance, and ethical business practice:
1. Legal Compliance and Accessibility Requirements
Australian businesses are increasingly subject to accessibility requirements. The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 requires equal access to services, including websites. While specific WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) compliance isn't legally mandated for all Australian businesses yet, the trend is clear:
- Government websites: Must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance
- Large organisations: Increasingly required to demonstrate accessibility
- All businesses: Risk discrimination complaints if websites are inaccessible
For Wollongong businesses serving government contracts or larger organisations, demonstrating compliance with accessibility standards (including proper alt text) is often required.
2. SEO Benefits in 2026
Alt text contributes to SEO in several ways:
Image Search Rankings
Properly optimised alt text helps your images appear in Google Image Search. For Wollongong businesses in the visual industries (hospitality, tourism, retail, trades), image search can drive significant traffic.
Content Context for Google
Google uses alt text to understand how images relate to your content, which helps with overall page rankings. In 2026, Google's algorithms are sophisticated enough to verify whether your alt text accurately describes images.
E-E-A-T Signals
Using authentic photos from real Wollongong projects (with descriptive alt text) sends stronger E-E-A-T signals than generic stock photos. Alt text like "Team installing solar panels on Thirroul residential roof" is more valuable than "Solar panels stock photo."
Reduced Bounce Rate
When images fail to load, meaningful alt text keeps users engaged rather than causing confusion and causing them to bounce.
3. User Experience for All Visitors
Beyond accessibility requirements, alt text improves experience for everyone:
- Users on slow connections see descriptions while images load
- Users in contexts where images are disabled (some corporate networks) understand content
- Users navigating with keyboard shortcuts can understand the page structure
- The search context becomes clearer when the image's purpose is explicit
4. Competitive Advantage in Wollongong
Based on auditing hundreds of Wollongong business websites over 15+ years, I can tell you that most local competitors are doing alt text poorly or not at all. This is a quick win opportunity:
- Rank in Google Image Search where competitors don't appear
- Demonstrate accessibility commitment to government and enterprise clients
- Provide a better experience for the ~4.4 million Australians with disability
- Signal quality and attention to detail
How to Write Effective Alt Text: The Formula
Good alt text is both an art and a science. Here's the formula that works for Wollongong businesses:
The Alt Text Formula
[What] + [Doing What/How] + [Where/Context] + [Why/Purpose if not obvious]
Keep it concise (ideally under 125 characters), descriptive, and relevant to the surrounding content.
Alt Text Examples: Good vs Bad
Example 1: Restaurant Photo
alt="IMG_1234"(Unhelpful file name)alt="restaurant"(Too vague)alt="food"(Not descriptive)alt=""(Empty/missing)
alt="Chef preparing fresh seafood platter at Thirroul beachfront restaurant"alt="Outdoor dining area at Wollongong harbour restaurant with ocean views"
Why it works: Describes what, where, and context. Includes location for local SEO. Gives screen reader users meaningful information.
Example 2: Service/Trade Photo
alt="plumber"alt="plumbing work"alt="our services"
alt="Licensed plumber installing new hot water system in Wollongong home"alt="Emergency leak repair under sink in Shellharbour kitchen"
Why it works: Specific service, location mentioned, demonstrates actual work (E-E-A-T signal).
Example 3: Team/About Photo
alt="team"alt="our staff"alt="about us photo"
alt="Creative Orbit team at Keiraville office with Simon Bayliss, founder"alt="Dr Sarah Chen, principal dentist at Wollongong Dental with 15 years experience"
Why it works: Names people when relevant, includes E-E-A-T credentials, and location establishes a local presence.
Example 4: Product Photo (E-commerce)
alt="product"alt="buy now"alt="click here"
alt="Neodymium disc magnet 20mm diameter, N52 grade, nickel plated"alt="Black leather work boots, steel toe cap, size 10, Australian made"
Why it works: Specific product details users need. Helps with product image search. No marketing fluff.
Example 5: Decorative Image
alt="divider"alt="spacer"alt="decoration"
alt=""(Empty alt attribute)
Why it works: For purely decorative images (borders, spacers, design elements), use an empty alt attribute. This tells screen readers to skip the image entirely, preventing clutter.
Common Alt Text Mistakes Wollongong Businesses Make
After auditing hundreds of Wollongong websites, here are the most common alt text mistakes we see:
1. Missing Alt Text Entirely
The problem: <img src="/photo.jpg"> with no alt attribute at all.
Impact: Screen readers announce "image" with no description. Google can't understand the image. Fails accessibility compliance.
Fix: Every image must have an alt attribute, even if it's empty for decorative images.
2. Using File Names as Alt Text
The problem: alt="IMG_1234.jpg" or alt="DSC_0056"
Impact: Screen reader announces "Image: IMG underscore one two three four dot jpg" – completely unhelpful.
Fix: Write descriptive alt text. Never use auto-generated file names.
3. Keyword Stuffing
The problem: alt="Wollongong plumber emergency plumber Wollongong best plumber Illawarra plumbing services Wollongong plumber near me"
Impact: Terrible for screen reader users. Google may penalise it as spam. Violates accessibility guidelines.
Fix: Write naturally. Include location once if relevant: "Licensed plumber repairing hot water system in Wollongong home."
4. Starting with "Image of..." or "Picture of..."
The problem: alt="Image of Wollongong harbour"
Impact: Redundant. Screen readers already announce "Image:" before reading alt text.
Fix: Just describe what's in the image: alt="Wollongong harbour at sunset with Mount Keira in background"
5. Too Long or Too Vague
The problem:
- Too long: 250-word essay in alt text
- Too vague:
alt="nice view"
Impact: Long alt text frustrates screen reader users. Vague descriptions provide no value.
Fix: Aim for 125 characters or fewer. Be specific but concise.
6. Describing What's Already in the Surrounding Text
The problem: The paragraph says "Our team at Wollongong office," and the alt text repeats "Our team at Wollongong office."
Impact: Redundant for screen reader users who hear the same information twice.
Fix: Add complementary detail: alt="Five team members collaborating at standing desks with harbour view through windows"
7. Using Generic Stock Photo Descriptions
The problem: alt="happy business people shaking hands" for a generic stock photo
Impact: Weak E-E-A-T signal. Doesn't demonstrate real business activity.
Fix: Use authentic photos of your Wollongong business, with specific alt text. If you must use stock, acknowledge context.
8. Same Alt Text for Different Images
The problem: All images on a page have identical alt text
Impact: Confusing for screen reader users. Appears spammy to Google.
Fix: Each image needs unique, accurate alt text describing it.
Special Cases and Advanced Alt Text
Some images require special consideration:
Logos
Approach: Use the company name, not "logo"
❌ alt="logo" or alt="company logo"
✅ alt="Creative Orbit"
Reasoning: Screen reader users need to know whose logo it is, not that it's a logo.
Linked Images (Buttons, Icons)
Approach: Describe the action, not the image
❌ alt="red button" or alt="arrow icon"
✅ alt="Submit contact form" or alt="Download PDF brochure"
Reasoning: Users need to know what happens when they click, not what the image looks like.
Complex Diagrams, Charts, Infographics
Approach: Brief alt text + longer description nearby
alt="Bar chart showing Wollongong population growth 2015-2025, detailed description follows"
Then provide full data in text below or beside the image.
Reasoning: Alt text should be concise. Complex visuals need both brief alt text and a comprehensive text alternative.
Decorative Images
Approach: Empty alt attribute
✅ alt=""
When to use: Background patterns, dividers, spacers, purely visual decoration with no informational content.
Important: Use alt="", not missing the alt attribute. Empty tells the screen, readers to skip; missing creates an error announcement.
Text in Images
Approach: Include the text in the alt attribute
If the image shows "Open 7 Days: 8 am-6 pm"
✅ alt="Open 7 days, 8am to 6pm"
Best practice: Avoid text in images when possible. Use actual HTML text for accessibility and SEO.
Image Galleries
Approach: Each image gets unique, descriptive alt text
❌ "Gallery image 1", "Gallery image 2", etc.
✅ "Kitchen renovation in Wollongong home showing white subway tiles and marble benchtops"
✅ "Bathroom renovation in Thirroul featuring freestanding bath and rainfall shower"
How to Implement Alt Text on Your Wollongong Website
Implementation depends on your website platform:
WordPress
Method 1: Media Library
- Go to Media Library
- Click on an image
- Fill in the "Alternative Text" field
- Click "Update"
Method 2: When Inserting an Image
- Click "Add Media" in the post/page editor
- Select image
- Fill in the "Alt Text" field in the right sidebar
- Insert image
Tip: Install the "Media Accessibility Checker" plugin to identify images missing alt text.
Joomla
When Inserting Image:
- Insert image in the article editor
- Click the image to open the properties
- Enter description in "Alternative Text" or "Image Description" field
- Save
Shopify
For Product Images:
- Go to Products > [Product name]
- Click image
- Click "Add alt text"
- Enter description
- Save
For Other Images:
- Go to Content > Files
- Click image
- Add alt text in the "Alt text" field
- Save
HTML (Manual Coding)
Syntax:
<img src="/image.jpg" alt="Description here">For decorative images:
<img src="/decoration.jpg" alt="">Wix, Squarespace, Other Builders
Most website builders have alt text fields when you select an image. Look for:
- "Alt text"
- "Alternative text"
- "Image description"
- "SEO description"
- "Accessibility text"
Check your platform's help documentation if you can't find the alt text field.
Testing Alt Text and Accessibility Tools
After implementing alt text, test it to ensure it's working properly:
Automated Testing Tools
- WAVE (WebAIM): wave.webaim.org – Browser extension and online tool highlighting accessibility issues
- axe DevTools: Browser extension for Chrome/Firefox – Comprehensive accessibility testing
- Lighthouse: Built into Chrome DevTools – Accessibility audit score
- Screaming Frog: Desktop SEO tool – Can audit all images for missing alt text
Screen Reader Testing
Why test with actual screen readers? Automated tools can't tell you if alt text is actually useful – only that it exists.
Free Screen Readers:
- NVDA (Windows): nvaccess.org – Free, full-featured
- VoiceOver (Mac/iOS): Built into macOS and iOS – Enable in Accessibility settings
- TalkBack (Android): Built into Android – Enable in Accessibility settings
- JAWS (Windows): Industry standard (paid, but free demo)
Basic Screen Reader Testing Process:
- Enable screen reader
- Navigate to your website
- Tab through the page or use screen reader navigation
- Listen to how your alt text is announced
- Ask: Does this make sense? Is it helpful? Is it too long/redundant?
Manual Inspection
Right-click image → Inspect Element to view HTML and check the alt attribute directly.
Chrome/Firefox method:
- Right-click page
- Select "Inspect" or "Inspect Element"
- Find image in HTML
- Check for
alt="..."attribute
Professional Alt Text Audit
Our free Screaming Frog audit includes checking all images on your Wollongong website for missing or poor alt text. We identify:
- Images missing alt attributes entirely
- Empty alt text where it should be descriptive
- File names are being used as alt text
- Duplicate alt text across multiple images
- Opportunities to improve existing alt text for SEO and accessibility
Alt Text as Part of Your SEO Strategy
Alt text isn't just a checkbox to tick – it's part of your broader SEO and accessibility strategy:
Connects to E-E-A-T
Alt text on authentic photos from real Wollongong projects demonstrates experience and expertise. Compare:
- ❌
alt="happy customer with plumber"(generic stock photo) - ✅
alt="Licensed plumber John Smith with satisfied customer after completing hot water repair in Wollongong home, March 2026"(real project photo)
The second example signals real experience. See our E-E-A-T guide.
Supports Local SEO
Including location in alt text (when relevant) reinforces your Wollongong presence:
- "Café exterior on Thirroul main street with outdoor seating"
- "Dental clinic reception area at Wollongong Central location"
- "Roof restoration project in Fairy Meadow showing terracotta tile replacement"
These location mentions contribute to local relevance signals.
Enhances Content Quality
Well-written alt text makes your content more comprehensive and valuable, and Google rewards it. It's another signal that you've put care and expertise into your website.
Image Search Opportunity
For Wollongong businesses in the visual industries, Google Image Search can drive significant traffic:
- Hospitality: Food photos bringing hungry searchers
- Tourism: Attraction photos driving visit planning
- Retail: Product photos generating sales
- Trades: Before/after photos demonstrating capability
- Real estate: Property photos generating enquiries
Good alt text makes these images discoverable.
Alt Text Quick Reference for Wollongong Businesses
Bookmark this checklist for quick reference when adding images to your website:
Alt Text Checklist
- ☐ Every image has an alt attribute
- ☐ Descriptive alt text for informational images
- ☐ Empty alt (
alt="") for decorative images - ☐ Under 125 characters (most cases)
- ☐ Describes what's in the image specifically
- ☐ Includes location when relevant (Wollongong, Thirroul, etc.)
- ☐ No keyword stuffing
- ☐ Doesn't start with "image of" or "picture of"
- ☐ Unique alt text for each image
- ☐ For linked images, describes action/destination
- ☐ Includes text if text appears in image
- ☐ For complex visuals, brief alt + longer description nearby
- ☐ Tested with screen reader (ideally)
Quick Formulas by Image Type
"[Name if known], [role/title] at [company/location], [relevant activity/context]"
"[Building/location name] in [suburb], [notable features or context]"
"[Professional/company] [performing specific service] in [location/context]"
"[Product name], [key specifications], [distinguishing features]"
"[Event name] at [location], [what's happening in photo], [date if relevant]"
Alt Text: Small Effort, Significant Impact
Alt text is one of those website elements that seems minor but delivers disproportionate value when done properly. It simultaneously:
- ✅ Makes your Wollongong website accessible to users with visual impairments
- ✅ Helps your images appear in Google Image Search
- ✅ Provides context that improves SEO rankings
- ✅ Demonstrates attention to quality and user experience
- ✅ Helps meet accessibility compliance requirements
- ✅ Creates a better experience when images fail to load
The effort required is minimal: 30 seconds per image to write descriptive alt text. The benefits compound over time as your image library grows and accessibility/SEO impact accumulates.
The Competitive Reality in Wollongong
After auditing hundreds of Wollongong business websites, I can confidently say that most of your local competitors are doing alt text poorly or ignoring it entirely. This is a genuine quick-win opportunity.
Spending an afternoon properly adding alt text to every image on your website will:
- Put you ahead of 80%+ of local competitors
- Improve your Google rankings (both general and image search)
- Make your site accessible to thousands of Illawarra residents with disabilities
- Signal professionalism and attention to detail
Want an Accessibility & SEO Audit for Your Wollongong Website?
Our free Screaming Frog audit checks every image on your website for missing or poor alt text, as well as hundreds of other technical SEO and accessibility factors. You get a detailed PDF report with prioritised recommendations.
We Check:
- All images for missing alt attributes
- Empty alt text where descriptions should exist
- File names are being used as alt text
- Duplicate or generic alt text
- Other accessibility issues (heading structure, link text, etc.)
- Broader technical SEO factors affecting rankings
Based in Keiraville, serving Wollongong and Illawarra businesses. 15+ years of experience implementing accessible, SEO-optimised websites. We practice what we preach – every image on this site has descriptive alt text.