What is the importance of alt text for images?

Alt text (alternative text) is a short description added to images on a website. It serves two main purposes: improving accessibility for users with visual impairments and enhancing SEO by helping search engines understand the content of your images.

Why it matters:

1. Accessibility
   Screen readers use alt text to describe images to users who are blind or visually impaired. Without alt text, these users may miss important visual information.

2. SEO Benefits
   Search engines can't "see" images like humans do. Alt text helps them index images correctly, which can boost your visibility in image search results.

3. Better User Experience
   If an image fails to load, alt text gives users a description of what was supposed to be there.

4. Legal Compliance
   In some regions, providing alt text is required under accessibility laws (like the ADA or WCAG standards).