The essential role of Accessibility and Usability in SEO

David Carralon is a marketing professional based in Paris. He currently works as the Head of International SEO for Career Builder. In his spare time, he writes about Search Engine Marketing on his blog and tweets about “all things digital marketing” at @DavidCarralon.

In this brief interview, we are looking at how web accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO) are closely connected. Accessibility SEO, usability SEO, and user experience all play key roles in creating a successful website. Read on for more!

# Introduction to Accessibility, Usability, and SEO

Accessibility, usability, and SEO are interconnected aspects of a website’s success. Accessibility ensures web content is available to users with disabilities, including those relying on assistive technologies. Usability focuses on creating intuitive and efficient user experiences, and SEO ensures search engines can discover and rank your content.

Together, these elements improve search engine performance, web accessibility, and overall user engagement. Accessibility and SEO should always align to achieve these goals. Using accessibility SEO practices ensures your website supports all users while maximizing search engine visibility.

David, what similar issues stand in front of a user who has certain disabilities (either physical or technical) and Googlebot when exploring the web?

The main issue I can think of is navigation. Search engine bots have to be treated like disabled users. There are no other user agents more disabled than them.

If the website is badly designed to the point where users struggle to comprehend it and/or get a feeling of control, the chances are that the search engine bots will struggle too. Worst-case scenario is that certain key parts of your website are never being found nor acknowledged by search engines. Insufficient or incomplete crawling would lead to a loss of relevant traffic and, eventually, leads. This highlights the close relationship between accessibility and SEO for better performance.

# The Impact of Accessibility on SEO

# Legal Implications

Web accessibility is often governed by laws and standards such as the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), and Section 508. Compliance with these standards not only reduces legal risks but also aligns with SEO and accessibility goals. Accessibility and SEO, when integrated effectively, ensure a website meets legal and user expectations.

# User Experience

Accessibility enhances user experience by making websites more navigable and intuitive for all users. An accessible website reduces bounce rates and increases engagement, benefiting both usability SEO and overall search engine rankings. User experience improvements positively influence search engine results by retaining visitors longer.

# SEO Benefits

Accessible websites often perform better in search rankings due to improved user engagement metrics and compliance with web accessibility best practices. Features such as semantic HTML, descriptive link text, and optimized alt attributes support both accessibility and SEO. Adopting accessibility-compliant CMS solutions, such as CKEditor, can help improve these aspects. Effective web accessibility ensures that search engines and users alike can understand and navigate your content.

In your blog post about search ranking factors, you mention that “accessible sites leading to a great architecture” are among the top 3 search engine ranking factors. Could you elaborate?

I think there are two parts to the answer: the first one is to clarify that web accessibility is not just about creating a comfortable environment for people with disabilities but for all users. It’s about ensuring that all parts of the website can be navigated easily, that interaction happens naturally, and that all users understand the website without having to spend hours studying it.

The second question is how web accessibility influences website architecture. I assume that you mean both information architecture (IA) and technical architecture. Good web accessibility is about ensuring that the site is organized in a meaningful and logical manner to help users with the task of navigation and comprehension. IA is a tool or technique that can help achieve that goal.

In addition, the technical platform needs to be made accessible to both users and search engine bots. So things like navigation, labeling, and shallow versus deep website structures are often key to effective content findability and discovery.

This is particularly important when it comes to the indexation of large websites. Web accessibility clearly influences website architecture by demanding standards-compliant techniques (HTML sitemaps, HTML5 vs jQuery, not using JavaScript for navigation, etc.). Effective architecture benefits SEO and accessibility simultaneously.

Citing Google’s Accessibility pages: “Google actively promotes an accessible web by serving on standards and advisory committees.” Is there any strong evidence that Google favors sites that have implemented the latest Accessibility Standards (WCAG, Section 508, WAI-ARIA Suite) or can we only hope that these standards improve organic search rankings?

I don’t think that Google would simply prefer one site to another just because it meets all web accessibility standards. However, Google may use many of the signals deriving from implementing good web accessibility standards when assessing a site’s suitability or eligibility to rank for certain terms. They look at over 200 ranking factors before deciding what position a page should rank on. Many of those are likely to be directly influenced or dictated by having good website accessibility. SEO and accessibility often complement each other in these areas.

Therefore, adopting accessibility-compliant CMS solutions for enterprise use is always going to help improve SEO. A good example is the CKEditor with its Accessibility Checker that allows you to inspect and resolve accessibility issues in your content before publishing. Accessibility SEO is a strategic advantage for improving rankings and ensuring compliance.

Wikipedia mentions Google being “the most-used search engine on the World Wide Web, handling more than three billion searches each day. As of February 2015 it is the most used search engine in the US with 64.5% market share.” What’s your experience with other search engines in terms of accessibility and SEO?

Based on my own experience so far, I’d say that all main search engines out there are currently using sophisticated crawling infrastructure to discover and understand websites (with perhaps Naver the least sophisticated and more focused on paid listings rather than organic). Generally speaking, all mainstream search engines out there use crawling technology that relies heavily on websites being accessible in order to find and discover content that they can index and use on their results pages.

Accessibility and SEO are important for success across all search engines. Whether it’s Google or other search engines, accessibility SEO ensures better discoverability.

# How Usability Influences SEO

The usability of a website directly impacts its SEO performance. When users find a site easy to navigate, they stay longer, reducing bounce rates and increasing dwell time. These factors send positive signals to search engines about the quality of the content, boosting rankings.

Incorporating usability SEO best practices, such as clear navigation, concise URLs, and intuitive design, ensures a seamless experience for users and search engine bots alike. Usability SEO helps maintain user retention and improves performance in search engine results.

Is there such a thing as overdoing SEO and (in turn) affecting the accessibility of a website?

Over-optimization and spam SEO can both adversely affect web accessibility for sure. For example, over-optimizing meta tags can lead to ambiguous understanding of the different pieces of content on a website, particularly for someone using a screen reader. So yes, I believe that overdoing SEO or spamming on-page meta tags and content can negatively impact a website’s accessibility.

The site needs to be designed, optimized, and developed with the user in mind in the first place. Even when SEO is a big part of the designing process, one should still take the interest of the user into account for all recommendations and decisions made. Only then can accessibility be preserved.

Are there any SEM techniques that can reduce page accessibility?

Yes, I’m sure there are. For example, landing pages used for paid advertising campaigns aiming at user conversion are often free from navigation aids. An impaired user landing on such a page would have difficulty understanding that it is just a campaign landing page and that they need to move onto the root level domain to access the actual website. This can create barriers for users relying on web accessibility features. Accessibility and SEO efforts should ensure landing pages remain user-friendly.

If you could pick 5 essential things to improve in an online service that cover both web accessibility and SEO best practices, what would they be?

1. Semantic Markup (descriptive & hierarchical headings, page titles, etc.)

2. Descriptive Link Text (anchor text)

3. Image Optimization (both in captions and alt tags)

4. Recommendations to make the site architecture crawlable

5. Writing short, concise, and memorable URLs

If you worked for a large corporate company, how would you sell accessibility to your boss?

It depends on which country we are in. If it’s in the United Kingdom or France, I could use the argument that web accessibility standards are regulated by law and need to be adhered to. Therefore, I would bring up the legal aspects of having to adopt it.

In another context, I would also add info about implications for user experience, the company’s marketing goals, and overall the site’s ability to monetize its users. I could also explain the correlation between improving accessibility and crawlability and better search engine rankings.

Lastly, I would run a full accessibility audit of the website and bring up the top points for the company’s consideration, explaining how each of them may be affecting accessibility and SEO.

Any other comments/thoughts around SEO and accessibility?

To anyone who wants to learn more about web accessibility, I recommend browsing the official W3C WAI website and exploring the tools recommended by the W3 Consortium. Browser-based accessibility toolbars are also worth exploring.

You can read more on the topic of Web Accessibility in “5 Tips on How to Improve Accessibility When Creating Your Web Content in a WYSIWYG Editor,” and  “Commercial Benefits of Accessibility.”

To save time and ensure proper implementation of accessibility standards, consider using tools like the Accessibility Checker. It simplifies the process and provides:

• A user interface optimized for quick problem-solving.

• Flexibility to use the accessibility checking engine of your choice.

• A Quick Fix feature to automatically resolve common issues.

Conclusion: Accessibility, Usability, and SEO - A Unified Approach

The intersection of accessibility, usability, and SEO is not just about compliance; it’s about building a better web for all users. A website that prioritizes accessibility ensures that all individuals, regardless of ability, can navigate, understand, and interact with content effectively. At the same time, usability-focused design leads to smoother experiences, keeping users engaged and satisfied. When these factors align with SEO best practices, websites become more discoverable, rank higher in search engine results, and ultimately drive more traffic and conversions.

By integrating accessibility and usability into your SEO strategy, you not only enhance user experience but also future-proof your website against evolving search engine algorithms and accessibility standards. Businesses and content creators who adopt these principles demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and innovation, making their digital presence stronger and more effective.

To further explore how CKEditor can help you implement accessibility best practices, check out CKEditor’s accessibility features. This tool streamlines compliance with accessibility standards by identifying and addressing potential issues in your content, ensuring a seamless and optimized experience for all users.