The internet is for everyone – or at least it should be. Right now, millions of people, including seniors, people with disabilities, and those with vision impairments, struggle to use websites that weren’t designed with accessibility in mind.
Making your website accessible benefits everyone involved – whether it be people with disabilities, an older generation, other users or even your own business.
The importance of accessibility doesn’t fall on deaf ears, especially those in charge at Google. Website accessibility not only allows your potential audience to use your website, but it also improves SEO ranking on Google and other platforms.
We’re going to explore how and why this happens and how it will impact your SEO, audience and overall ROI.
What is website accessibility?
Website accessibility means designing and building your website so that everyone, including people with disabilities, can easily use them. Some examples of these disabilities include people who are blind, deaf, or have difficulty using a mouse or keyboard. Website accessibility also caters to people who may not have a disability, but may be technologically challenged, or of an older generation. This could include people with reading issues and need larger text.
An accessible website ensures that all users, regardless of their abilities, can access information, interact with the website, and have a smooth browsing experience.
How Accessibility Improves SEO
In a previous blog we explored all the key areas that improve SEO, including mobile first development, user engagement, page speed, user experience and document markup. All the things we just mentioned are directly impacted by, or is itself, website accessibility. Search engines like Google will prioritise your domain authority if you can successfully do these things well. When a website is well structured and user friendly, it becomes easier for search engines to crawl your website. By focusing on usability and accessibility, websites can improve both their SEO performance as well as user engagement.
Some of the easiest ways you can improve your SEO through accessibility improves include:
- Proper heading structures (H1, H2, H3, etc.).
- Descriptive alt text for images.
- Clear navigation and internal linking.
- Readable fonts and contrast ratios.
Reaching a Wider Audience
Accessibility benefits everyone, not just people with disabilities. A large percentage of the total users who will interact with your website will have something that limits their ability to use your website in some way. This is especially prevalent for older users or people with slow connection on mobile devices.
If you can ensure that these users are still able to use your website, you will double your chances of achieving what you want from your website – whether that be conversion, or something else entirely.
The Business Benefits
When users are not blocked from using your website there are a wide range of benefits which will improve your chances of conversion. These benefits may include higher engagement on your website, lower bounce rates, better search ranking, enhanced brand reputation & inclusivity, and legal compliance in Australia.
It is illegal for businesses to have non-accessible websites if you are a business and has been shown many times that businesses neglecting their accessibility can be legally found responsible.
Some Quick Wins
You can make your website more accessible really easily and quickly by doing the following:
- Increase text size
- Optimise page speed
- Make your buttons bigger
- Add alt texts to all images
We have explored all of this in more detail in our new e-book, DON’T EXCLUDE GRANDMA. Check it out now!
To Recap
Website accessibility isn’t just about inclusivity—it’s also a powerful way to boost SEO and reach a wider audience. Search engines favor user-friendly websites, and accessibility features like clear navigation, alt text, and structured content make it easier for both users and search engines to understand and engage with your site. By removing barriers and ensuring everyone, including people with disabilities, can access your content, you not only improve rankings but also expand your potential customer base. Investing in accessibility is a smart strategy that enhances user experience, strengthens your brand’s reputation, and drives long-term business growth.
Too much hassle?
If this all sound like too much of a hassle to do yourself, give us a yell. We help businesses like yours elevate their digital experience and do all the perfectionism for you.
