I don't know if the alt attributes do anything for SEO or not, or I definitely would have said so.

What I do know is that if you don't add something in there, the code validator will spit at you and tell you to add it so you may as well add it in there within the program to keep it simple.

Use the "alt" to describe the photos and give your photos descriptive titles as well – for example, don't use "img-1", use something that tells what the product or service is: "residential-painting-exterior-on-stucco.jpg".

I don't see why SEO questions should be confined to any one app, why not bring them under in the web developement forum?

The html pg meta tag keywords are pulled from the pg related content. If my slide show is on the pg it relates to the pg's keyword listings? If the pg links to a stand alone slide show then the pg's keywords do not pertain to the content on the slide show?
Precisely why I am asking about this stuff.

If the slideshow is relevant to the page it's on (as it should be), then it would make sense to use keywords relevant to that page.

So, if the page was something like "Shop for ABC Widgets", the slideshow might look like this:
<img alt="Dad loves his new ABC Widget" srcset="./fathers-day-gift-ideas.png">
<img alt="ABC Widgets shown in 6 different colors" srcset="./abcwidgets-colors.png">
<img alt="Happy bride and groom opening gifts" srcset="./perfect-wedding-gift.png">
<img alt="3 sizes displayed (sm, med, lg), large Widget ships for free!" srcset="./widget-sizes-free-shipping.png">

Just make sure your alt text makes sense for screen readers, and don't keyword stuff.
Your image names should make sense to you, but it's OK to use some key words in those as well.

If it's a stand-alone slideshow, it would still relate to the site, so think about what action you want users to take and use appropriate text/keywords to support that action. Per the example above:
Send a widget for a holiday/birthday/wedding gift? Treat yourself to a better widget? Subscribe to "widget of the month club"?
You might be able to incorporate some popular (but not site-related) search words as well:
"Climbers using ABC Widgets at Yosemite", "ABC Widget at use on the International Space Station"......

As per the suggestions of a few of the users here that would like a place to discuss SEO, here ya go!

Please keep the discussions informative and civil of course. All other forum rules apply so please be sure to read them if you haven't already. Enjoy!

Thanks Jo

Speaking of alt text on my home pg I have 6 images or pictures, one is at the bottom in the text area and is the black background image to the large text area. I am not interested in putting alt text to that image.
www.workhorsepainting.com
I understand that it is not alt text relating to the responsive content slider. But, it is picture alt text and I have some questions about it. At the top of the home pg are two pics one on the left and one on the rt. They are Workhorse Painting in a google color and font mimicking. I used the pics because that was the only way that I could get them to look exactly the way that I wanted. I put alt text on them but when you mouse over the pics the alt text does not appear as per usual for alt text as it worked in the old VSD site. I copied and pasted the alt text into the title box input in the design section for the two images and then when you mouse over then the alt text appears because it was saved into the title box.
The alt text on the 3 large images in the middle of the home pg the left house and rt house and the horse and ribbon image in the middle they all have alt text but when moused over the alt text does not appear and there is no title box input in the design section because they are just simple images the two upper ones are picture links. The two upper picture links do not link to anything. Do you get penalized by SEO for having picture links that do not link to anything?
Is the alt text on the simple pictures supposed to render, on mouse over, like it did in the old VSD site?
I guess that if the user does not get to read the alt text on mouse over then having it directly relate to the picture becomes less important, that would give a little leeway on descriptions in alt text?

Alt text is for visually impaired users. A screen reading device literally reads that text to them. It just happens that search bots read it too. It doesn't matter if it doesn't appear on screen.

If you do want some text to appear, add a title to your img tag.
<img alt="Workhorse Painting Contractor of Jacksonville Fl." title="My Text Here" srcset="./img/Workhorse3.gif">
Keep in mind, there are no mouseovers on phones so don't rely on them for important info.

Also, alt text should describe the image, this isn't how it's meant to be used:
<img alt="Get New Interior, Exterior, Paint with Workhorse Painting Co. of Jacksonville, Fl" srcset="./img/trademark.gif">
This doesn't tell a screen reader what the image is, and Google might see that as more spammy than helpful.
<img alt="galloping horse trademark" srcset="./img/workhorse-trademark.gif"> <<< Better

Your image doesn't have to be a link to display a title. If you have those images at the top of each page, you should link them to your home page since it's common to use a logo as the home page link. Empty links are just confusing – they make users think something is broken.

As for images that are just background graphics, you can remove the alt="" from the img tag so readers will skip those images. If a graphic is relevant to the content, go ahead and describe it. For example, some sites have icons at the top of content sections rather than text titles. To screen readers, these are images so say what they represent:
alt="Business Hours" srcset="./img/clock-icon.png"

Thank you for the information, I learned much about alt text today. Put up my VSD site 3 years ago and used lots and lots of alt text and am just now finding out that it is for the visually impaired.