Reasons Why SEO and Web Accessibility Go Hand-in-Hand
Search engine optimization, or SEO and web accessibility, go hand-in-hand. Creating a thoughtful, accessible website does wonders not only to broaden your potential client base to drastically improve your SEO as well! Ensuring that your business' website complies with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) means that in creating a site accessible to people with a wide range of abilities, you are also taking steps to improve your ranking in Google's search results.
Not limited to use in Ontario, using the AODA as a sort of roadmap in site design is a great way to ensure that your website is accessible to users locally, across Canada and around the world. Need more details? Continue reading to learn about SEO and web accessibility and the 4 reasons why they're important for ensuring your website runs like a well-oiled machine.
1. Accessible Design Improves UX
Much of AODA compliance and general web accessibility techniques revolve around putting the user first and crafting a website where their experience is simple and intuitive. Some elements that make for a predictable, accessible user experience (UX) include:
- Straightforward navigations
- Legible text
- Mobile compatibility
- Quick-loading pages
While UX is not considered one single ranking factor, many of the individual elements that make up a strong user experience drastically improve your rankings. Considering these factors when designing your website is a surefire way to create an accessible website while simultaneously improving your SEO!
Looking for help improving your website's accessibility and ranking factors? Let our experts guide you on the path to success. Contact us today.
2. Logical Header Structure Establishes Content Hierarchy
A key element to an accessible website is a well-thought-out structure based on logic and easy for the user to follow. Particularly for visitors with limited reading comprehension skills or those who utilize a screen reader, establishing a logical header sequence is crucial in helping them to navigate the content on your website. When a header structure avoids skipping sections and accurately describes the content below it, you allow users of all abilities to navigate your website easily and avoid taking unintentional detours.
One of the most influential elements for good SEO is that a website's content matches the user's intent, and headers are a fantastic tool to help you achieve this. Well-structured headers allow you to break your content into chunks of relevant information, which works to improve your SEO score.
3. Title Tags Improve Both Accessibility and SEO
As the name suggests, title tags allow you to give a title to each page on your website. From an accessibility perspective, they make it easier for people using screen readers to quickly understand the differences between multiple pages, as it's typically the first element read by a screen reader. That's why your tags should reflect the content on your page accurately and concisely. Think of them as road signs, efficiently telling users where they are located within your website.
Your title tag typically determines your display title in search engine results pages, making it a user's first experience of your website. So it's crucial that your tags accurately describe the content! Strong title tags also benefit from drastically improving your SEO, as they help to ensure that your content matches your users' intent.
4. Alt Text Provides Context and Keywords
Descriptive alt text allows you to provide a textual alternative to any visual elements included in your page. Unlike a caption, alt text doesn't appear to sighted viewers and is only available on the back-end to be used by screen readers and search engines.
Alt-text is crucial for accessibility and is directly addressed in the AODA guidelines. It can be read aloud by screen reader technology to describe images to users with visual impairment, so be thoughtful when creating your alt text and make sure that it clearly and concisely explains the visual elements on your webpage.
In addition to screen readers, search engines also look for alt text on images within a webpage. It provides them with further information regarding the content on your site, and therefore it's a valuable tool that you can use to enhance your technical SEO.
Connect with SEO and Web Accessibility Experts Today
Looking for guidance in creating an accessible and search-engine-optimized website? Look no further than WEB ROI and our team of experienced and knowledgeable web designers. Contact us today to discuss your web design needs, and together we can embark upon the road to success!
