Why is Accessibility important for SEO?

1. Is Accessibility a direct ranking factor for SEO?

2. What is the Positive Impact of Accessibility on SEO?

Improved User Experience

Improving accessibility can have a positive effect on people without disabilities as well.

An example of a common accessibility issue is insufficient color contrast. Adequate color contrast between text and background makes the text readable for people with visual impairments. However, improving color contrast also makes it easier for people without visual impairments to read the text.

This positive experience leads to lower bounce rates, and higher conversions - all of which search engines like Google consider when ranking websites.

Larger Target Audience

According to the World Health Organization, around 15% of the world's population experiences some form of disability.

If you don't address accessibility on your websites, you might have a smaller target audience.

Brand reputation

Optimizing for accessibility demonstrates a commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility which has a positive impact on brand reputation.

Strengthening Technical SEO

Accessibility guidelines have a positive impact on technical SEO.

For instance, providing alternative text (alt text) for images not only benefits visually impaired users but also assists search engines in understanding and indexing your content accurately.

Another example is the usage of landmarks. Landmark elements such <main> or <nav> provide context for Assistive Technologies such as screen readers. At the same time, Search Engines have a better understanding of the content on the page.