Readable by People, Quotable by AI: How to Write FAQs and Alt Text That Earn Citations
More than half of the top million home pages are missing image alt text. Here is how to write alt text and FAQs that help customers, search engines and AI tools.
The short answer
FAQs and alt text are two of the cheapest fixes on any website. WebAIM’s February 2026 scan of the top one million home pages found 53.1% had images missing alt text (WebAIM Million, 2026). Google calls alt text “the most important attribute” for giving it information about an image (Google Search Central). A clear FAQ answers the exact questions customers type into search and AI tools.
Why these small fixes matter
- Alt text helps people and search. Google says alt text also helps people who use screen readers or have slow connections (Google Search Central).
- FAQs give short, complete answers. Those are what AI tools lift. Since 2023, Google shows FAQ rich results mainly for well-known government and health sites (Google Search Central Blog, 2023), so write FAQs for readers, not for a special search result.
How to write an FAQ that gets quoted
- Use the customer’s words. “How long does it take to dry out a flooded basement?” not “Mitigation timelines.”
- Answer in the first sentence. Then add one or two sentences of detail.
- One question, one answer. Don’t bundle three questions together.
- Link any number to its source.
- Keep it to the questions people actually ask. Your office staff know them.
How to write alt text
- Describe what the image shows. “Technician replacing a water heater in a garage” not “image1.jpg.”
- Keep it short, about one sentence.
- Include the service or place when it’s actually in the photo. Don’t stuff keywords.
- Leave decorative images empty. Lines and background shapes don’t need alt text.
FAQ
Does alt text help my ranking?
Google says it uses alt text, along with the page’s content, to understand what an image shows (Google Search Central).
Should I add FAQ markup to my FAQs?
For most business sites, it no longer brings FAQ rich results (Google, 2023). The FAQ text on the page is what matters.
Sources: WebAIM Million, February 2026 · Google Search Central: Google Images best practices · Google Search Central Blog: Changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results, August 2023