Explain the role of SEO and alt text in online news stories.

• A. Alt text and SEO are unrelated to accessibility.
• B. SEO improves search visibility; alt text provides image accessibility for screen readers and improves overall comprehension.
• C. SEO is only about keyword density; alt text is optional.
• D. Alt text replaces the image's caption.

Answer: (B)

SEO and alt text work together to make online news stories both findable and usable. SEO improves how easily a story shows up in search results, helping readers discover it when they search for related topics. Alt text describes the image content for people who can’t see the image, so screen readers can convey what’s there, which enhances accessibility and overall understanding. That same alt text also gives search engines clues about the image, supporting better indexing and relevance. Alt text should be descriptive and relevant, not a place for stuffing keywords, and it complements captions rather than replacing them. Some statements that claim accessibility isn’t related, or that SEO is only about keyword density, or that alt text is optional, miss how these features actually support both access and discoverability.