Media Optimization & AI Alt Text
Add images to your XML sitemap, auto-fill missing featured images, and generate vision-powered alt text — all from the Media Optimization tab.
Before you start
The Media Optimization tab covers three related image SEO workflows: sitemap image inclusion, featured image auto-fill, and AI-generated alt text using visual recognition.
You’ll need:
- WordPress Administrator access
- Images uploaded to the Media Library (attached to posts or standalone)
- AI credits for bulk alt text generation (see our Account & AI Credits guide)
Open Media Optimization
Navigate to:
SEO Rank Genius → Indexing & Sitemaps → Media Optimization
The tab URL parameter is …&tab=media-optimization. The screen opens with a KPI summary row, then three sections: Image Indexing, Auto-Fill Featured Images, and AI Alt Text Generator.
Media Optimization
Image indexing, ALT text & featured images
Media Optimization — KPI row showing AI-Enhanced, Missing ALT, and Coverage stats.
KPI row explained
Image indexing
Image indexing controls whether image URLs appear inside your XML sitemap, helping Google Image Search discover your visual content.
Image Indexing
Add image metadata to your XML sitemap
Image Indexing — toggles for sitemap image inclusion and featured images.
Include Images in Sitemap
When enabled, SEO Rank Genius adds <image:image> entries to your XML sitemap for images found in post content. This is the master toggle — turn it off only if another plugin handles image sitemaps exclusively.
Include Featured Images
Extends sitemap image entries to include each post's featured image (thumbnail), even if it is not embedded in the body. Recommended for blogs and news sites where the featured image is the primary visual.
AI alt text generator
The AI Alt Text Generator uses visual recognition — not just filenames — to write descriptive alt attributes. It considers the image itself, page title, headings, and your site's language.
AI Alt Text Generator AI
Vision-powered alt text using page context and image analysis
AI Alt Text Generator — Tone selector and bulk generate button.
Tone options
- Descriptive — neutral, factual descriptions of what appears in the image (default)
- SEO-focused — incorporates relevant keywords from the page context naturally
- Accessibility-first — concise, screen-reader-friendly descriptions without keyword stuffing
Choose a tone
Select the tone that matches your site. E-commerce sites often prefer SEO-focused; government and accessibility-sensitive sites should use Accessibility-first.
Click Generate ALT Text
The button shows the current missing count. SEO Rank Genius processes images in batches, writing alt text directly to the Media Library. Each image consumes one AI credit.
Review in Media Library
Spot-check generated alt text on high-traffic pages. The KPI row updates automatically as coverage improves.
Featured images
The Auto-Fill Featured Images section finds posts missing a featured image and can set one automatically from the first suitable image in the post body.
Auto-Fill Featured Images
Set featured images for posts missing them — important for social sharing and Video Schema thumbnails
Auto-Fill Featured Images — scan and bulk-fill controls with missing count.
Auto-Fill on Post Save
When enabled, saving any post without a featured image triggers an automatic search for the first content image. This prevents new posts from publishing without a thumbnail.
Scan Missing & Auto-Fill All
Scan Missing audits your entire site and shows a results panel with stats and a list of affected posts. Auto-Fill All processes every post missing a featured image in one batch — the button is disabled when the count is zero.
Troubleshooting
Images not appearing in sitemap
Confirm both Image Indexing toggles are on and saved. Regenerate the sitemap from Overview. View the live XML and search for <image:image> tags inside URL entries.
Alt text generation fails or stalls
Check AI credit balance. Large batches may time out on shared hosting — run smaller batches or increase PHP max execution time. Verify outbound HTTPS is not blocked by your host.
Generated alt text is inaccurate
Switch tone to Descriptive or Accessibility-first. SEO-focused tone may over-emphasize keywords. Edit individual alt text in the Media Library for critical hero images.
Auto-fill picks the wrong image
The first content image may be a logo or icon. Manually set the featured image on important posts, then enable Auto-Fill on Post Save for future content only.
Coverage stuck below 100%
Some images may be SVGs, externally hosted, or in draft posts. Run Generate ALT Text again after publishing. SVGs and decorative images may intentionally lack alt text.