Text Links vs Image Buttons: What's Better for SEO

A button can be text inside an <a> tag, or an image wrapped in an <a> tag. Visually the result looks the same, and the clickability is the same. For the user there is no difference. For the search engine there is — and it is quite significant.

In this article we break down how text links differ from image links from an SEO standpoint, when to choose which, and how to build image buttons without losing ranking signals.

What Google and Yandex Extract from a Link

When a search engine encounters a link <a href="/page-b">...</a>, it extracts several signals:

Where it points — the destination URL
Anchor text — whatever sits between the opening and closing tags
Surrounding context — the text of the paragraph, the section heading
Attributes — rel, target, title

Anchor text is the strongest of these signals about the topic of the destination page. If 50 links pointing to page B all carry the anchor "buy a sofa bed," the search engine concludes with high confidence that page B is about purchasing sofa beds.

Text Link

<a href="/sofa/">Buy a sofa bed</a>

The anchor text here is literally the words "Buy a sofa bed." A clear signal. Good for SEO.

Pros:

Direct semantic transfer
Accessible for screen readers (read aloud as "link: buy a sofa bed")
Easy to style with CSS
Minimal HTML

Cons:

If you need a graphically expressive button (with an icon, shadow, or gradient) it takes more CSS work
Not suitable for logos, icons, or clickable banners

Image Button

<a href="/sofa/">
  <img src="/img/cta-sofa.jpg" alt="Buy a sofa bed">
</a>

The anchor text here is empty. The search engine replaces the anchor with the content of the image's alt attribute. If alt is empty, the link is weak from an SEO perspective.

Pros:

Graphically expressive
Good for branded CTAs with a logo
Sometimes the only option when a specific visual is required

Cons:

Weaker semantic signal (alt instead of a true anchor)
Adds page weight (image download)
Less accessible (alt may be skipped depending on screen reader settings)
Harder to adapt for different languages and devices

Hybrid: Text + Image Inside a Single Link

<a href="/sofa/">
  <img src="/img/icon-sofa.svg" alt="">
  <span>Buy a sofa bed</span>
</a>

This is the best practice for buttons with icons. The image has an empty alt (it is a decorative icon; screen readers skip it). The text inside <span> serves as the real anchor.

This format collects all the benefits:

Clear anchor text for the search engine
Visual icon for the user
Correct screen reader behavior

Use this pattern everywhere you need a button with an icon.

Rules for Image CTAs

If you do use an image as a link:

1. Always fill in the alt attribute

The alt for an image link is whatever the user would see as the button label. Without alt you waste the SEO signal and create an accessibility disaster.

<!-- Bad -->
<a href="/promo/"><img src="/img/promo.jpg"></a>

<!-- Good -->
<a href="/promo/"><img src="/img/promo.jpg" alt="30% off corner sofas"></a>

2. Do not make the alt too long

The anchor substitute via alt should not turn into a kilobyte of text. 5–10 words is the optimum.

3. Do not use images for important buttons

"Buy," "Add to cart," "Book now" — these are critical conversion actions. Text buttons are better:

More versatile (easier to change the copy or language)
Faster (no image to download)
More accessible (always read by screen readers)

4. SVG icons inside a link are not image links

<a href="/sofa/">
  <svg>...</svg>
  Buy a sofa bed
</a>

Here the anchor text is "Buy a sofa bed" and the SVG is a decorative icon. A solid approach.

Special Case: the Logo

The logo in the header is almost always an image wrapped in a link to the home page. The standard is different here:

<a href="/" aria-label="Bcorrections home page">
  <img src="/logo.svg" alt="Bcorrections — SEO in the AI era">
</a>

Or with an SVG logo:

<a href="/" aria-label="Bcorrections home page">
  <svg role="img" aria-label="Bcorrections">...</svg>
</a>

Here aria-label additionally describes the link's purpose to screen readers. This is no longer an SEO factor but an accessibility one — yet Google takes it into account.

When an Image Link Is Justified

Logos (standard practice)
Advertising campaign banners (but consider a text button layered over the image with CSS)
Video or podcast thumbnails (where the image is the thumbnail)
Product cards in a catalog (where the primary action is clicking the entire card)

Summary

Text links are stronger for SEO because they carry direct anchor text. Use image links only when the visual truly matters — and always include a meaningful alt. The best pattern is a hybrid: an icon plus text inside a single link, where the icon is decorative (empty alt) and the text carries the semantic weight.

Want an audit of your site's CTAs and buttons for SEO and accessibility? Get in touch.