SEO + Accessibility
How Accessibility Boosts Your Google Rankings
Web accessibility isn't just about compliance — it's a powerful SEO strategy. Accessible websites consistently outperform competitors in search rankings, organic traffic, and user engagement.
The numbers speak for themselves
Research shows that WCAG-compliant websites significantly outperform non-compliant sites.
More organic traffic
After accessibility improvements
More keywords ranked
SEMrush study of 10,000 sites
Lower bounce rate
Better user experience
Longer sessions
Average session duration
Source: SEMrush research on WCAG-compliant websites (2025)
Why accessibility improves SEO
Search engines and assistive technologies work in similar ways — they both rely on well-structured, semantic content to understand your website.
Semantic HTML structure
Tags like <header>, <nav>, <main>, and <article> help screen readers navigate content — and help Google understand page structure. Pages with complete semantic structure receive 25-30% more featured snippet placements.
Descriptive alt text
Alt text enables blind users to understand images — and helps Google index your visual content. Every image without alt text is a missed opportunity for both accessibility and image search ranking.
Video captions and transcripts
Captions make videos accessible to deaf users. Transcripts create indexable text content that Google can crawl, significantly boosting your video SEO and providing additional keyword opportunities.
Clear link text
Descriptive links (instead of "click here") help screen reader users understand where links go — and help Google understand your internal linking structure and page relationships.
Faster loading times
Accessibility best practices (compressed images, avoiding auto-play media, reduced motion) naturally lead to faster websites. Since Google uses Core Web Vitals as ranking factors, accessible sites get rewarded.
Core Web Vitals and accessibility
Google's Core Web Vitals are official ranking factors. Many accessibility improvements directly boost these metrics.
"Core Web Vitals and WCAG are two halves of the same system. One measures how users experience your site's performance. The other defines whether they can access it at all."
— Dennis Hammer, Content Strategist at Siteimprove
Largest Contentful Paint
Accessible sites use optimised images with proper alt text, reducing file sizes and improving load times. Target: under 2.5 seconds.
Interaction to Next Paint
Proper keyboard navigation and focus management (WCAG requirements) ensure fast, responsive interactions. Target: under 200 milliseconds.
Cumulative Layout Shift
Accessible design avoids unexpected content shifts that disorient users. Proper image dimensions and reserved space for dynamic content improve both accessibility and CLS. Target: under 0.1.
What Google says about accessibility
Google Search Advocate John Mueller has stated that while accessibility is not yet a direct ranking factor, accessible websites have stronger user experience signals — and those signals are much easier to measure.
Google has incorporated accessibility testing into its Lighthouse audit tool alongside performance, SEO, and best practices. This signals Google's increasing focus on accessibility as a quality indicator.
With the European Accessibility Act taking effect in June 2025 and similar regulations worldwide, experts anticipate Google will give more weight to accessibility. Sites that fail to comply risk both legal penalties and search ranking disadvantages.
The competitive opportunity
Nearly 95% of top-ranking pages still fail WCAG 2 compliance. This creates a significant opportunity for businesses that act early — both for legal compliance and search ranking advantages.
Non-compliance has consequences
Beyond SEO benefits, accessibility is now a legal requirement in the EU. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) became enforceable on June 28, 2025.
Fines up to €500,000+
Penalties vary by EU member state but can be substantial for serious violations.
Market restrictions
Regulators can order non-compliant services withdrawn from the EU market entirely.
Legal action
Individuals and advocacy groups can file complaints and lawsuits against non-compliant businesses.
Reputation damage
Negative publicity from accessibility failures harms your brand and customer trust.
Two benefits, one solution
By making your website accessible, you simultaneously:
Boost your SEO
- Higher organic traffic
- Better keyword rankings
- Improved Core Web Vitals
- Lower bounce rates
- More featured snippets
Meet legal requirements
- EAA compliance (June 2025)
- Avoid fines up to €500,000+
- Prevent legal action
- Maintain EU market access
- Protect your reputation
Improve your SEO and compliance today
Get a comprehensive accessibility report in minutes. See exactly what's affecting your rankings and compliance status.