Written by Nick Awad for Accessibility.com, June 14, 2023
Digital accessibility is the practice of designing websites and digital content to ensure they are accessible to all individuals, regardless of disabilities or impairments. Search engine optimization (SEO) refers to optimizing websites to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
While they may seem like distinct focus areas, the relationship between digital accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO) is closer than you’d think. These days, both concepts serve as opportunities for online businesses to connect better with their customers.
This post will explore the connection between digital accessibility and SEO.
Accessibility in a Nutshell
Let’s refresh the basics. Digital accessibility refers to the design and development of websites, tools, and other digital products in a manner conducive to users across the ability spectrum. This includes people who have visual, audio, cognitive, or physical impairments.
Digital accessibility also includes considering users without impairments. Everybody benefits from a manageable user experience (UX). For example, video captions help people who are hard of hearing and users who are in a noisy environment or watching a video without sound.
To make a website accessible, developers must ensure that users can navigate and access the site through various means. This is achieved through keyboard navigation, screen readers, alternative text, audio description, and others. Accessibility also includes ensuring the website’s content is easy to understand and navigate.
The Basics of SEO
SEO is the practice of optimizing a website’s content to rank high in search engine results pages (SERPs). Proper SEO means a web page will appear first (or close to first) in a web search. As a result, the website will receive more internet traffic.
Developers can achieve SEO through on-page and off-page optimization. On-page optimization refers to optimizing the website’s content and structure. Off-page optimization refers to building links to the page from other sites.
Search engines use algorithms to determine which sites appear on a results page. This is also how they determine where the said page will show up. Search engine algorithms consider a variety of factors, including the relevance of the website’s content to the search query, the website’s structure and organization, and the number and quality of links pointing to the website.
The Connection Between Accessibility and SEO
Having laid both concepts out on the table, the question remains… how do they fit together? Digital accessibility and SEO might seem unrelated, but there is a significant overlap between the two. This is because many principles that ensure digital accessibility also contribute to better SEO.
Understandable content
Both digital accessibility and SEO rely on web page content that is navigable and understandable.
Search engines favor websites that provide clear, concise, and relevant content that is easy to navigate and understand. A hallmark of efficient SEO is using keywords and labels that aren’t complex or convoluted and that lack jargon. If the site is easy to navigate, it will enjoy a sustained frequency of traffic, thus cementing its position on a results page.
Two of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) guiding principles are that a site be both Operable and Understandable. Understandable and navigable content is also a hallmark of an accessible web page. Its content and layout should be clear to ensure the widest range of users can access a site.
Optimization of text
SEO and digital accessibility also rely on optimizing a web page’s text-based content.
It’s easy to understand how text optimization helps SEO. Optimizing text for SEO means using the best possible keyword combinations, developers can help ensure that their page will align with the terms most commonly entered into search engines. Thus, the page will be more likely to turn up higher on the results page.
What may surprise you is that digital accessibility also depends on the optimized text on a web page. Web page text can be used not only to ensure understandable content but it can also to contribute to accommodating technology depending on a user’s needs.
For instance, one accessible accommodation for a web page is using alt-text. Alt-text refers to a written description of a page image that is written into the HTML of that image. Screen-reading devices can then read the Alt-text, narrating the image’s content to a user with visual impairments.
It’s important for alt-text, like SEO text, to be as optimized as possible. This will ensure that the contents of an image are clearly and accurately communicated to the user. Plus, alt-text can also be used toward a website’s SEO.
User Experience
A convenient user experience (UX) indicates digital accessibility and good SEO practices.
UX refers to a user’s overall experience when interacting with a website or digital product. A website that is accessible is also likely to be more user-friendly, which can lead to increased engagement and better user satisfaction. This is because an accessible website accommodates as many users as possible.
Positive UX is also a result of effective SEO practices. Effective SEO can ensure that users get the most out of the search engine and the site they happen upon. Proper implementation of SEO ensures users can easily discover high-quality content and accessible information on the website while optimizing its compatibility with mobile devices for enhanced convenience.
Conclusion
Web accessibility and SEO might seem like two unrelated concepts, but in reality, they are closely interconnected. Improving web accessibility can not only make your website more user-friendly and accessible to people with disabilities, but it can also improve your website’s search engine rankings and visibility.
By understanding the intersection of accessibility and SEO, you can create a website that is both high-performing and usable by everyone.
Event: Accessible Mobile Apps and Kiosks
Join us on Tuesday, August 22nd at 1 PM ET for our next event on Accessible Mobile Apps and Kiosks. We need to ensure self-service is accessible to everyone.
The self-service trend for customers through mobile apps and kiosks has exploded in recent years. Identify gaps in your processes that may prevent all customers from utilizing these tools. Explore how to provide an accessible user experience for all when designing, developing, and deploying mobile apps and kiosks.
Register for this free, online event here.
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