How SEO and Accessibility Boost Rankings With Inclusive Design

Do you know how accessible your website is? 

Most business owners focus on SEO but neglect a major element of user experience and search performance. As someone who has worked in web content marketing for almost a decade, I constantly see digital accessibility overlooked.

When websites take action to make their websites more accessible, they open up their business to a wider audience, make their offer an obvious choice over a non-accessible competitor, and simultaneously help their SEO rankings by making a better, faster website. SEO and accessibility are both ways you can reach a bigger audience of prospective buyers.

Fortunately, many digital accessibility improvements are simple, cost-effective, and easy to implement on your own. Even small changes can have a big impact. At the end of this guide, I’ve included a checklist with easy, medium, and advanced steps for you to improve your site’s accessibility at your own pace.

Key takeaways:

1. Inclusive design is a smart business move; overlooking accessibility means potentially losing nearly 28% of American adults as customers.
2. Accessibility improves SEO because many best practices are direct Google ranking factors. 
3. Small changes can significantly improve your website’s functionality without requiring a complete overhaul.

What is digital accessibility?

Digital accessibility ensures that everyone, including individuals with disabilities, can fully access and interact with online content. It removes barriers to website and app use. This concept is not just a matter of inclusivity; it’s a practical approach that can improve the overall user experience.

As Sheri Byrne-Haber, a respected advocate for the deaf and digital accessibility, writes on her website, “The disability is not the barrier. The barrier exists solely because the software or content fails to account for the wide range of abilities and needs of their users.” If your website isn’t accessible, it’s your responsibility to fix it.

Why is digital accessibility important for businesses?

More than 28% of US adults have a disability, and many depend on websites to browse, shop, and access services. A website that is easy to navigate, readable, and functional for everyone can bring in customers who might otherwise be excluded.

In the U.S., the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires businesses to make websites accessible. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a set of standards to help guide businesses in creating websites. However, many businesses still ignore digital accessibility. According to WCAG’s 2024 report, 95.9% of home pages had some sort of error, with the most common errors being low-contrast text or missing alt text. 

A hard-to-use site drives people away, which could be costing you leads and revenue. In contrast, a site that’s easy to use keeps visitors engaged longer, reduces bounce rates, and improves conversions—all signals Google rewards. Most inclusive changes don’t just help one group of potential clients; they enhance the experience for everyone. In this light, accessibility is a hidden growth strategy. 

Businesses that lead in inclusive design not only stand out and a highly engaged audience. People with disabilities tend to be highly loyal to brands that accommodate them, leading to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth.

How Google views accessibility and SEO

Google’s official stance is that accessible websites are good, but not directly rewarded for being accessible. In terms of SEO impact, Google’s John Mueller says accessibility is not a direct ranking factor. However, he does recommend it for a better user experience. 

Eve Andersson, Google’s Director of Accessibility Engineering, shared two interesting perspectives with Co.Design: “Accessibility is a basic human right” and “[inclusive design] makes life more livable for everyone.” 

Nimer Jaber, a Google Android Accessibility Analyst who happens to be blind, shares, “The biggest barrier I face is not the lack of vision; it is the environment that is set up to be so reliant on vision and the disparity in the amount and quality of information that is available to me.”

These quotes, and many of Google’s products and features, suggest that the most popular search engine in the world champions inclusive accessibility for all.

How does accessibility affect SEO?

Many accessibility improvements naturally align with SEO ranking factors, which Google rewards. Specifically, improving your on-page experience and your site’s structure will help with your SEO and ADA goals.

Core Web Vitals, a set of metrics Google uses to evaluate page experience, is a perfect example of this overlap. Improving the Core Web Vitals improves your page experience while also making your site more accessible. 

How a website’s content is structured also plays a role in both usability and SEO. Incorporate both improvement strategies for long-term success.

Core Web Vitals improves SEO and accessibility

Optimizing your Core Web Vitals creates a better on-site experience for your visitors. Core Web Vitals are Google’s way of measuring how quickly your page first loads (Largest Contentful Paint), how long it takes to be able to interact with your page (Interaction to Next Paint), and how much the content of your page shifts when it’s fully loaded (Cumulative Layout Shift). In brief: faster, more stable sites perform better in search rankings and offer a better page experience.

Here are some aspects to focus on:

• Page speed: Faster load times benefit all users, but they’re especially critical for people using screen readers or assistive devices.
• Interactivity: A site that responds quickly improves the experience for all users. Ensure buttons, forms, and menus are keyboard-accessible to make interactions smoother for visitors who don’t use a mouse.
• Visual stability: Page elements that shift unexpectedly can be frustrating for all users, but they’re especially problematic for people with cognitive disabilities or those using screen magnifiers. If your text loads in 1.8 seconds but your hero image loads in 5.3 seconds, all your content will shift down after a few seconds. 

Making these changes will have a real impact on your business: Some business websites that improved their Core Web Vitals and saw click-through-rates improve by 70%, 80% to 100% higher conversion rates, and 25+% more organic traffic.

Structured content enhances page navigation

Search engines and assistive technologies both rely on structured content to understand a webpage. Organizing content in a clear, predictable way helps both groups process information efficiently.

Key areas where accessibility and SEO align include:

• Semantic HTML: Using properly structured headings (h1, h2, h3) improves readability for screen readers and helps search engines understand content hierarchy.
• Alt text for images: Descriptive alt text helps visually impaired users understand images and allows search engines to index them properly.
• Captions and transcripts: Video captions assist people who are deaf or in noisy environments while also making video content searchable.
• Keyboard navigation: Ensuring all interactive elements can be accessed without a mouse benefits users with motor impairments and improves usability for everyone.

While businesses often prioritize SEO rankings, they frequently overlook accessibility optimizations. However, the two often go hand in hand. A top-notch website is one that anyone can navigate and use comfortably. Build accessibility into your content strategy, and you’ll improve your SEO as well.

Setting the bar high: PlaySpark and digital inclusive design

PlaySpark, a lifestyle brand with disability-positive appeal, has built an inclusive online shopping experience. Their website features simple yet playful elements to engage visitors without surprising them.

PlaySpark’s homepage is playful and accessible

When I tested this URL with Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool, I found that PlaySpark has a good accessibility score, but it could have an excellent score with some quick changes.

1. Add alt text to your images. For example, add a description like “T-shirt design with a dark teal background and white text reading ‘all brains are beautiful’ in a lowercase, sans-serif font.”
2. Give your links more descriptive anchor text. Edit “Shop All” to “Shop All Designs” or “See All Tees.”
3. Improve the contrast between background and foreground colors. Most of the homepage is dark text on a light background, so you should use a tool (see the checklist for my suggestions) to look at the contrast for your CTA buttons and the footer menu.

PlaySpark’s PageSpeed accessibility report

I’m a huge supporter of this brand and the people behind it, so PlaySpark team: if you read this, contact me and I would be happy to send over all the alt text, descriptive anchor text, and hex code colors I would suggest for your homepage to improve its accessibility rating, free of charge.

Priority SEO and accessibility checklist (with estimated time commitments)

I designed this checklist based on what I’ve seen work for lean marketing teams at startups and small businesses. You don’t need to tackle everything at once to make your website more accessible. I included estimated time commitments, so you can fit small improvements in whenever you have time. 

These tasks are divided into three categories: easy, high-impact fixes that require little to no technical skills, moderate efforts that might need some help, and higher-effort changes that might involve expertise or financial investment. Start with simple steps and gradually move towards more advanced optimizations.

Easy, high-impact fixes (5–30 minutes per task, no cost, no technical skills required)

• Test your site with free accessibility checkers (WAVE, Google Lighthouse Chrome extension, or PageSpeed Insights) (30 min)
• Add alt text to all images and graphics within your CMS platform manually or Ahref’s Free AI Image Alt Text Generator (5–10 min per page)
• Update generic link text to descriptive anchor text (5–10 min per page)
• Use clear, descriptive headings to improve readability (10–15 min per page)
• Avoid flashing animations that may cause seizures or discomfort (5 min)
• Use high-contrast colors for text and backgrounds; use AudioEye or WebAIM to check (10–20 min)
• Write accessible social media posts (e.g., use camel case for hashtags: #SmallBusinessMarketing; include alt text for images) (5 min per post)
• Provide closed captions for all video content (YouTube auto-generates, but review for accuracy) (10–30 min per video)
• Test keyboard navigation by navigating your site without a mouse (10 min)
• Simplify website forms with clear labels and error messages (15–30 min per form)

Moderate effort, some technical adjustments (30 minutes – 2 hours per task, may require some help)

• Enable text resizing for mobile devices without breaking the page layout (30–60 min)
• Ensure buttons and links are large enough and have enough spacing (30–60 min)
• Optimize site speed using Google PageSpeed Insights or a similar tool (1–2 hours, may need a developer)
• Add text alternatives for charts, infographics, and videos (30 min–1 hour per page)
• Use semantic HTML (correct heading structure, proper use of lists and tables) (1–2 hours, may need a developer)
• Offer an accessibility statement explaining available site features (30–60 min)

Higher effort or cost, requires expertise or financial investment (several hours to ongoing work)

• Train your team on accessible content creation and digital marketing best practices (Ongoing, 2–4 hours for initial training)
• Conduct usability testing with people who rely on assistive technology (2–5 hours, plus setup time)
• Hire an SEO company that specializes in accessibility or an accessibility consultant for a professional audit and long-term strategy (Varies, typically several weeks to complete)

I wrote this list based on what I’ve seen work. However, if you have the opportunity, get advice about your website from multiple disabled people. Someone with ADHD will have a different perspective from someone who is deaf. Someone with a motor impairment will raise different concerns from someone who is red-green colorblind. Derek Featherstone, a leading voice of inclusive design, offers this advice on his website: “Find ways to engage more people with disabilities, earlier in the process, in a more meaningful way.” 

SEO and accessibility: A better growth strategy

Digital accessibility is a legal requirement, yes, as well as an ethical business strategy. Your investment will improve your overall user experience, search engine visibility, and make your site more welcoming. Overlooking it could mean turning away nearly 28% of American adults who might otherwise become customers.

You can start with a checklist, or start with a tool, or start with a conversation. However you start, your investment will help your website to reach new people. Even small changes, like adding descriptive alt text and heading tags, create a better experience for everyone. That’s exactly what Google prioritizes in search rankings: an experience better than the competing pages.

It doesn’t matter how you start. What matters is taking action. Every step toward accessibility is a step toward a stronger, better business. 

FAQs about accessibility and SEO