Dealership alt text for vehicle photos

Alt text for vehicle photos is one of those small details that often goes wrong in dealership publishing workflows. Either the field is left blank, or every image gets the same generic text. Both approaches miss the point. Good alt text helps screen readers explain what the image actually shows, and it also helps Google understand the image alongside the page content. For dealerships, that means alt text should be treated as part of image discipline, not as a last minute SEO trick before a listing goes live.

What Google and accessibility guidance actually care about

Google Search Central recommends descriptive alt text and page context for images. W3C guidance on the alt attribute starts with the role the image plays on the page. On a VDP, that usually means a front view, interior shot, or tow bar photo should be described according to what the buyer needs to understand, while purely decorative graphics do not need the same treatment. The goal is clarity, not more keywords.

Why dealership alt text often ends up weak

The most common problem is bulk duplication. Every image of the same vehicle gets almost identical text, or the same template is used across the whole inventory without accounting for angle or detail. That makes it harder for both users and search engines to understand the difference between the cover photo, side view, boot photo, and close-up of the driver seat. The other common mistake is keyword stuffing, where the alt text tries to rank for everything at once instead of simply describing the image.

A simple template that works for most vehicle listings

• Cover photo: the make, model, year, and main view, for example ‘2022 Volvo XC60 front three quarter view’.
• Side photo: describe the side or angle, for example ‘2022 Volvo XC60 left side’.
• Interior photo: name the cabin area, for example ‘2022 Volvo XC60 dashboard and center console’.
• Boot or cargo image: describe the function, for example ‘2022 Volvo XC60 boot space’.
• Detail image: name the actual feature, for example ‘2022 Volvo XC60 alloy wheel’ or ‘2022 Volvo XC60 tow bar’.
• Avoid price words, city names, and sales phrases unless they are truly needed to understand that specific image.

How long alt text should be

For dealership listings, a short and concrete description is usually enough. Alt text rarely needs to become a full sentence if the image simply shows a clear view of the vehicle. If the important context already exists in the title, image order, and surrounding page copy, the alt text should still describe the image, but it does not need to retell the whole listing. Think ‘what does this image show’ rather than ‘how do I force every keyword into this field’.

When alt text can be blank

If an image is purely decorative, such as a background graphic or styling element that adds no information, an empty alt attribute can be the right choice. But most vehicle photos on a VDP are not decorative. They carry information about condition, equipment, body style, and interior. That is why dealerships should be careful about leaving real vehicle imagery without a description.

How to scale alt text across a full inventory

The best workflow is to lock in a simple build rule for alt text: vehicle identity plus image angle or feature. That gives the CMS or the inventory team a stable way to produce consistent text without writing every line from scratch. At the same time, avoid giving twenty images the exact same alt text. If the image order is already standardized, you can map a template to each position in the series and get more meaning without creating extra admin work.

Where AI fits without making the page worse

AI can help suggest alt text at scale, but only when the rules are clear. A good system should understand the difference between a front shot, interior view, feature close-up, and decorative graphic, then keep the wording short and stable. If you already standardize the final image finish in the last step, it can make sense to standardize the alt text logic at the same time so humans, search engines, and AI answer engines all receive a cleaner image package.

A useful rule for the team

If someone can hear the alt text read aloud and immediately understand what the image shows, you are usually close to the right level. If that same text also helps keep order between the photos, the VDP, and the inventory feed, it is doing double duty. For dealerships, that is much more valuable than trying to force every possible keyword into every image.