Looking for an SEO lift? Start with Web Accessibility

Updated on May 7, 2025.

As a marketer, it goes without saying that it can be difficult to gauge where your SEO is at and what to do to improve it. Whether you’re creating a new website or looking to give your current site a bump in performance, I’d like to point out a new focal point from which to start: web accessibility.

We all understand that following SEO best practices is essential for boosting business metrics. However, many of us overlook the importance of integrating these strategies within the framework of web accessibility. By doing so, you not only adopt a more intentional and inclusive approach but also ensure you’re meeting the needs of a broader, more diverse audience.

What is ‘web accessibility’?

Web accessibility generally means complying with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) and the updates from United States Access Board called Section 508. View a full list of all the requirements at W3.org.

Section 508 clearly states that any business receiving public funding must comply with accessibility standards. You can find the official announcement on the U.S. Access Board’s website. This marks a significant shift in what it means to conduct business online—emphasizing inclusivity for all users. Web accessibility compliance is not optional; it’s a legal and ethical necessity that’s here to stay. Organizations that fail to meet these standards are increasingly facing legal action. Ensure your organization stays ahead of the curve—and out of court. Review the key points below to understand your next steps.

What is an example of how web accessibility can affect my SEO?

Web accessibility standards are designed to ensure that people with disabilities can access and navigate the internet as effectively as anyone else, regardless of their abilities. These standards benefit not only users, but also your website’s visibility in search engines. Search engines like Google don’t “see” your site the way humans do—they don’t process images or visual design elements. Instead, they scan the underlying code, line by line, to understand your content. If your website lacks proper semantic HTML and descriptive markup (such as alt text for images, labeled form fields, and clear headings), it’s not only less accessible to users with disabilities—it’s also less visible to search engines. In short, poor accessibility can hurt your SEO.

The best ways to boost your SEO while meeting Web Accessibility standards.

1. Use descriptive keywords and legitimate titles.

Google and users who use a screen reader will jump to your title first. Makes sense right? Well, if the header does not conceptually match the context of that page, it can be disorienting for users. Google responds by negatively indexing this page if it finds your titles do not match the content, or are intentionally misleading.

Make sure that your titles make sense across the environment that they appear in and that your posts are featuring descriptive keywords that reinforce that title. That way you’ll likely get a nice boost in SEO.

2. Establish an unbreakable style guide for HTML markup and branding.

As noted above, the tools that assist users in accessing digital content—such as screen readers—function in ways that are remarkably similar to how Google’s search crawlers interpret websites. Both rely on clean, semantic HTML markup to understand and communicate page content.

When creating a new website or auditing an existing one, it’s essential to use heading tags like <H1>, <H2>, and so on according to best practices. This ensures content hierarchy is clear for both users and assistive technologies. It’s also important to define these structures in your style guide—not just their visual appearance, but their coded roles. Simply applying styles to make text look like a heading isn’t enough. True accessibility and SEO benefit from consistently using semantic HTML that aligns with both your visual branding and technical structure.

3. Give photos a description.

Google can’t interpret images the way humans do—and neither can users with vision loss. That’s why it’s essential to provide meaningful alternative text (alt text) for every visual you add to your site. A well-written description allows screen readers to convey the image’s purpose or message to users who can’t see it. This is especially critical when images contain embedded text or are used to communicate key ideas, such as calls to action (CTAs). Without descriptive alt text, both accessibility and your SEO performance suffer.

Now what?

These are just a few of the ways you can align your SEO strategy with web accessibility principles. As you work to improve your visibility in the search results, we encourage you to prioritize the most effective, future-proof methods. Embracing web accessibility as a foundation for strong SEO is a smart and sustainable starting point. Stay tuned for more advanced tips on boosting your SEO while building a more inclusive web experience!