Search engine optimization (SEO) and digital accessibility are often approached as separate goals. However, they share a fundamental purpose: improving the user experience. When you build your website to meet accessibility standards—such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 or 2.2—you not only make your site more usable for people with disabilities, but you also enhance your visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). This blog post explores how improving accessibility directly and indirectly boosts SEO, resulting in a stronger online presence and broader audience reach.
1. Shared Goal: Better User Experience
Both SEO and accessibility strive to make websites more usable, navigable, and informative. Search engines aim to deliver results that provide a great user experience, which includes how content is structured and how easily it can be accessed.
Using semantic HTML elements (like <header>, <nav>, <main>, <section>, and <footer>) provides a clearer structure that benefits both screen reader users and search engine crawlers. These tags define the content in a meaningful way, allowing assistive technologies and indexing bots to understand the hierarchy and purpose of your content.
Additionally, descriptive link text (e.g., “Read our accessibility guide” instead of “Click here”) improves usability and contributes keyword relevance, which can positively impact your SEO performance.
2. Alt Text and Image Optimization
Alternative text (alt text) plays a crucial role in both accessibility and SEO. For users with visual impairments, alt text provides a description of images through screen readers. For search engines, it allows images to be properly indexed.
Optimizing alt attributes with descriptive, keyword-rich phrases increases your site’s relevance in image search results and improves the overall context of your pages. It’s important to avoid keyword stuffing; focus on writing helpful, concise descriptions that accurately reflect the content of each image.
3. Proper Use of Headings (H1-H6)
Both search engines and screen readers rely on well-structured heading levels to understand and navigate web content. Proper use of headings helps segment information logically and improves scannability for all users.
Using one <h1> for the page title, followed by nested <h2>, <h3>, etc., creates a hierarchical flow that mirrors the content structure. Including targeted keywords in your headings not only enhances accessibility but also boosts keyword relevance, a key factor in SEO rankings.
4. Clean, Semantic HTML and ARIA Landmarks
Websites built with clean, semantic HTML are easier for both users and search engines to interpret. Screen readers can better announce content that uses meaningful tags, while crawlers can more accurately index your pages.
ARIA landmarks, such as role="banner", role="navigation", and role="main", further define sections of the page. When used correctly, these landmarks improve navigation for assistive technology users and clarify your content structure for SEO algorithms.
Additionally, a well-structured HTML document enhances load times and performance—both of which are considered SEO ranking signals.
5. Mobile Accessibility and Core Web Vitals
Mobile-first indexing is now the standard for Google, meaning your mobile site is the primary version indexed. Accessibility best practices often align with mobile optimization, helping you meet key Core Web Vitals metrics:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Optimized images, clean layouts, and fast servers improve load times.
- First Input Delay (FID): Accessible, responsive elements ensure better interaction timing.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Proper spacing, keyboard focus indicators, and visual consistency reduce layout shifts.
Making your site mobile accessible improves usability across all devices and supports higher search engine rankings.
6. Reduced Bounce Rates and Longer Engagement
An accessible website keeps users engaged. When content is easy to read, navigate, and interact with, users are more likely to stay longer, explore more pages, and complete goals.
Search engines monitor behavioral metrics like bounce rate, time on site, and page views per session. Improving accessibility—like adding visible focus states, using legible fonts, and ensuring keyboard navigation—can lead to better engagement and stronger SEO performance.
Accessible websites are also more likely to convert users, whether it’s completing a form, making a purchase, or subscribing to a newsletter.
7. Voice Search and Structured Data
As voice search continues to rise, websites that follow accessibility best practices are better positioned to succeed. Voice assistants favor content that is:
- Clearly structured with headings and bullet points
- Written in natural, conversational language
- Enhanced with schema markup or structured data
By using accessibility-focused techniques, you naturally create content that aligns with the way voice search queries are processed. This helps your pages appear in featured snippets or as direct answers in voice search results.
Conclusion: A Win-Win Strategy
Accessibility is not just a compliance checkbox—it’s a strategic advantage. By improving your site’s accessibility, you create a better experience for all users, reduce legal risk, and enhance your site’s SEO performance.
At A11YPros, we help organizations integrate accessibility and SEO best practices into every phase of their digital strategy. From audits and remediation to inclusive design and WCAG compliance, we empower teams to build websites that are optimized for both people and search engines.
Ready to improve your site’s accessibility and SEO? Contact us today to get started.