• The article explains how to bulk edit the alt tags of WordPress posts using plugins or code snippets, and why it is important for SEO and accessibility.
• The article also provides some best practices for writing good alt tags, such as being descriptive but concise, using keywords but avoiding keyword stuffing, and being consistent and unique.

If you have a WordPress site with many posts that contain embedded images, you may want to update the Alt Tags of those images to improve your SEO and accessibility. Alt tags are short descriptions of the images that help screen readers and search engines understand what they are about. They also show up when the images fail to load for some reason.

However, editing the alt tags of each image manually can be a tedious and time-consuming task, especially if you have hundreds or thousands of posts. Fortunately, there are some ways to Bulk Edit the alt tags of your WordPress posts using plugins or code. In this article, we will show you how to do that and what are the best practices for writing good alt tags.

Using Plugins to Bulk Edit Alt Tags

One of the easiest ways to bulk edit the alt tags of your WordPress posts is to use a plugin that can do it for you. There are several plugins available that can help you with this task, such as:

• Bulk Auto Image Alt Text (Alt tag, Alt attribute) optimization (BIALTY): This plugin can automatically generate and update the alt text of your images using the image file name, post title, or a custom pattern. You can also edit the alt text manually if you want.
• Update Image Tag ALT Attribute: This plugin can update the alt text of your images using the image title or caption. You can also use a custom text or a shortcode to insert dynamic content.
• Auto Image Attributes From Filename With Bulk Updater: This plugin can automatically set the image title, caption, description, and alt text from the image file name. You can also use a bulk updater tool to apply the changes to all your existing images.
• PB SEO Friendly Images: This plugin can automatically update the alt text and title attributes of your images using predefined patterns. You can also customize the patterns using variables such as post title, category name, image name, etc.
• Image SEO Optimizer: This plugin can automatically optimize the alt text, title, caption, and filename of your images using AI-powered analysis. You can also manually edit the image attributes or use bulk actions.

To use any of these plugins, you need to install and activate them from your WordPress dashboard. Then, you need to follow their instructions and settings to configure how you want them to update your image alt tags. Some plugins may require you to run a bulk action or a cron job to apply the changes to your existing images.

Using Code to Bulk Edit Alt Tags

Another way to bulk edit the alt tags of your WordPress posts is to use code snippets that can modify the HTML output of your images. This method requires some coding skills and access to your WordPress files or database. You should also backup your site before making any changes.

One example of a code snippet that can bulk edit the alt tags of your WordPress posts is this one:

// Add this code to your functions.php file or a custom plugin
function custom_alt_text($attr) {
  global $post;
  // Get the post title
  $title = get_the_title($post->ID);
  // Set the alt text as the post title
  $attr['alt'] = $title;
  return $attr;
}
// Apply the filter to all images in posts
add_filter('wp_get_attachment_image_attributes', 'custom_alt_text', 10, 1);

This code will set the alt text of all images in your posts as the post title. You can modify this code to use other variables or conditions as you wish. For example, you can use the image file name, caption, or description as the alt text.

Another example of a code snippet that can bulk edit the alt tags of your WordPress posts is this one:

-- Run this SQL query in your database manager (e.g., phpMyAdmin)
-- Backup your database before running this query
-- Replace wp_ with your table prefix if different
UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = REPLACE(post_content,'alt=""','alt="Your custom alt text"');

This SQL query will replace all empty alt attributes in your post content with a custom alt text. You can modify this query to use other criteria or values as you wish. For example, you can use a regular expression to match specific patterns or conditions.

How to Write Good Alt Tags

Writing good alt tags is not only important for SEO and accessibility but also for user experience and engagement. Here are some best practices for writing good alt tags:

• Be descriptive but concise: Your alt text should describe what the image is about in a few words, without being too vague or too detailed. For example, “A stack of blueberry pancakes with powdered sugar” is better than “Pancakes” or “A delicious breakfast dish made with flour, eggs, milk, and blueberries, topped with a generous amount of confectioners’ sugar and served with maple syrup on the side”.
• Use keywords but avoid keyword stuffing: Your alt text should include relevant keywords that match the content and context of your page, but without overusing them or adding irrelevant ones. For example, “A stack of blueberry pancakes with powdered sugar” is better than “Pancake pancakes pan cake hotcakes hotcake breakfast food best breakfast top breakfasts breakfast recipes pancake recipe”.
• Avoid using “image of” or “picture of”: Your alt text should describe the image itself, not the fact that it is an image. For example, “A stack of blueberry pancakes with powdered sugar” is better than “Image of a stack of blueberry pancakes with powdered sugar”.
• Use proper punctuation and capitalization: Your alt text should follow the same grammar and spelling rules as your regular text. For example, “A stack of blueberry pancakes with powdered sugar” is better than “a stack of blueberry pancakes with powdered sugar”.
• Be consistent and unique: Your alt text should be consistent with the style and tone of your website, and unique for each image. For example, if you have multiple images of different types of pancakes on your page, you should use different alt texts for each one, such as “A stack of chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream” or “A stack of banana pancakes with honey”.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are some common questions and answers related to bulk editing alt tags in WordPress:

Question: How do I check the alt tags of my images?

Answer: You can check the alt tags of your images by inspecting the HTML code of your page or using a tool like SEO Site Checkup or WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool.

Question: How do I optimize my images for SEO?

Answer: Besides adding alt tags, you can also optimize your images for SEO by using descriptive file names, reducing file sizes, choosing the right format, adding captions and titles, and using responsive images.

Question: How do I add alt tags to images in other places, such as widgets or menus?

Answer: Depending on where you want to add alt tags to images, you may need to use different methods or plugins. For example, you can use Menu Image plugin to add alt tags to images in menus, or Widget Options plugin to add alt tags to images in widgets.

Summary: Alt Tags in SEO – Small, but Effective

Alt tags are small pieces of text that describe the content and function of images on a website. They are important for SEO and accessibility, as they help screen readers and search engines understand what the images are about. They also improve user experience and engagement by showing up when the images fail to load.

To bulk edit the alt tags of your WordPress posts, you can use plugins or code snippets that can automatically or manually update the image attributes. You should also follow some best practices for writing good alt tags, such as being descriptive but concise, using keywords but avoiding keyword stuffing, avoiding using “image of” or “picture of”, using proper punctuation and capitalization, and being consistent and unique.

We hope this article has helped you learn how to bulk edit the alt tags of your WordPress posts and why it is important for SEO and accessibility. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments below.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. The plugins and code snippets mentioned in this article are not endorsed or affiliated with WordPress. The use of these plugins and code snippets is at your own risk and discretion. We are not responsible for any damages or losses that may result from the use or misuse of these plugins and code snippets. Please backup your site before making any changes and test them on a staging environment first.

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