The mutually beneficial relationship between accessibility and SEO

You may have read before that having an accessible website will be good for your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). The explanations given are often short and overly simplistic, and might have left you wondering how SEO and accessibility are related.

If that is the case, wonder no more; this article will explain everything you need to know about the link between accessibility and SEO.

Accessibility and SEO have a shared goal

The primary reason SEO and accessibility complement each other so well is that they have a shared aim. To provide a better user experience (UX).

Accessibility helps users with disabilities access a website’s content, and SEO improves its visibility and usability for all users. Both give structural,  clarity and navigability benefits to all users.

How do Accessibility and SEO work together?

Several aspects of website design and building contribute positively to accessibility and SEO. We have identified five things that enhance a website’s SEO and accessibility.

1. Semantic HTML

When search engines crawl websites, they rely on semantic elements (like < main>, <nav> and <section>) and heading levels (<h1>-<h6>) to help them understand the page structure.

Well-implemented Semantic HTML and headers will improve the crawl efficiency and ensure that important content is understood in the right context.

Accessible websites must have well-implemented Semantic HTML and a proper header structure. These elements are used by screen readers to skip to relevant sections, and if not implemented correctly, users who access sites via this technology won’t know where they are on the page.

2. Alt text and media indexing

Images

Descriptive alt text provides an alternative for users with visual impairments so they can understand the extra information portrayed by images. Though usually invisible on screen, it can be read aloud by screen readers and is also picked up by crawlers who use it to understand the content and relevance for image search.

Video & audio

Search engines like Google can’t watch videos or listen to audio; they rely on transcripts to crawl and understand their content. Providing transcripts means the content can be indexed and extends a site’s keyword coverage.

For similar reasons, providing transcripts and closed captions means users with visual and auditory disabilities can also understand the content of videos, podcasts and other media, making them accessible to a wider audience.

3. Descriptive link text

Accessible link text is link text that is unique (i.e. not one of many ‘click here’s) and gives context to where it will take you (i.e. “Our article about the importance of accessibility”)

Happily, accessible link text is also optimised for SEO as it provides keyword-rich context for crawlers and helps them associate linked content with anchor text, which improves internal linking and topic modelling.

4. Structured data and ARIA landmarks

ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes, like role=“navigation”, give extra content for both screen readers and search engines. Though it doesn’t directly affect search engine rankings, using ARIA is indicative of logical page layouts and improves how assistive technology interprets content, ultimately improving accessibility.

5. Keyboard navigation and focus management

Ensuring every interactive element of your website is navigable via the keyboard is essential for accessibility. You must provide keyboard users with the equivalent functionality as those using a mouse, trackpad or touchscreen.
Equally, it is important to indicate the states of the interactive elements so keyboard users can tell their location within the site and understand the behaviour of all elements.

Google evaluates user experience using Core Web Vitals, which evaluate page loading performance, interactivity and visual stability, and it scores these factors in keyboard access. This is significant as better usability scores can translate into higher rankings.

The indirect relationship between SEO and accessibility

As well as the technical associations explored above, websites with strong accessibility often perform better in search engine rankings simply because being accessible gives users a better experience.

Because they are usable by a wider audience and have accessibility features that benefit all users, not just those with disabilities, accessible websites tend to have lower bounce rates, improved conversions and higher engagement, which all factor into SEO success.

Want to address your accessibility and improve your SEO in one go?

JBi’s technical experts have a wealth of experience in accessibility and SEO and are perfectly placed to improve the performance of your website. To talk about first steps, get in touch by emailing hello@jbidigital.co.uk or by calling us on 0207 043 2510.