Hi Marketer!
An advertising image can carry your whole offer: a headline, a benefit, and a button. Someone who cannot see that image still needs to understand its purpose. Useful alternative text helps communicate that purpose when an image is read by assistive technology or cannot be displayed.
For your next SurfAholics TE campaign, review the images on the landing page you control. This is a focused improvement you can make without redesigning the page or changing your credit allocation.
Start with the image’s job
Ask what the visitor would lose if the image disappeared. Is it essential information, a link to an offer, a screenshot that explains a step, or decoration? The answer determines what belongs in its alt text.
- Informative image: Describe the information the reader needs in this context.
- Image used as a link: Communicate the link’s purpose or destination, especially when the image is the link’s only content.
- Decorative image: Use an empty alt attribute, alt=””, when the image adds no information and is not the only content of a control.
Do not leave an essential linked image with an empty description. A visitor needs an understandable name for the action.
Replace vague descriptions with useful meaning
Suppose a linked graphic says “Free weekly advertising planner — download the checklist.” Alt text such as “banner,” “image123,” or “best traffic free advertising” does not explain the action. “Download the free weekly advertising planner” is more useful when that is exactly where the link leads.
If nearby visible text already provides the same link name within the same link, avoid repeating it unnecessarily. Judge the whole link as the visitor encounters it, rather than describing each piece in isolation.
Keep important offer details in real text
Alt text should not become a hidden sales letter. Put the main offer, conditions, price, and next step in visible page text. That helps people read, enlarge, translate, and understand the message without depending on a graphic.
For a screenshot showing a multi-step setup, use a short description of its purpose and explain the steps beside it. A complex chart needs a nearby explanation of its useful information, not a long list of every visual detail stuffed into the alt field.
Add it where you control the image
In your page editor, select the image and look for an alternative text or alt text field. Enter a brief, accurate description, save the page, and inspect the published result. A caption is visible text beneath an image; it does not automatically replace an image’s alternative text.
Advertising submission forms vary. If a banner tool does not offer an alt field, do not assume that an image filename, campaign name, or browser tooltip becomes its alternative text. Improve the landing page you control, and ask the service about its supported options if needed.
Do a short published-page check
- List the page’s images and identify which ones carry information or actions.
- Read each essential description with the surrounding text. Does it make sense without seeing the graphic?
- Check that a linked image’s description matches the page it opens.
- Use a screen reader if available to check how the whole link or control is announced. Keyboard navigation also helps you confirm that linked images can be reached.
- Open the page on a phone. Make sure the important offer remains readable as visible text.
For a related check, follow our guide to checking your traffic exchange landing page with a keyboard.
Useful alt text supports a clearer visitor experience. It is not a guarantee of accessibility or campaign results. Start with the image that carries your main offer, make its purpose understandable, and then review the rest of the page.
As you prepare your next campaign on SurfAholics TE, use this checklist to make your advertising images clearer and more useful.