In the first part of this blog post, we have already highlighted a few points about the connection between accessibility and SEO and the benefits that can arise as a result. In the second part, we would like to delve deeper into the subject. We will explain how you can optimize your website so that it not only scores points with search engines, but is also accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities. Discover some practical steps to make your website fit for the digital future.
1. heading structure
Accessibility: Screen readers distinguish between HTML headings and normal paragraph text. A correct heading structure helps to understand the thematic structure of a website.
Impact on SEO: A good heading structure is also important for search engine bots to understand your page. Your heading tags should contain a logical breakdown of your main topic and detailed subsections of the page.
2. navigation
Navigation can refer to different areas of your website, but mainly to the top navigation menu. To make your website accessible, your navigation menus must contain your main pages, include the appropriate ARIA attributes and be keyboard accessible so that all users can access these pages. Buttons and sitemaps must also be accessible for correct navigation.
Impact on SEO: Your most important pages should be included in your top navigation menu to send the right SEO signals to search engines about the most important pages on your website. Not only does this improve the user experience, but it also helps search engine bots find these pages more easily and ensures they are crawled and cached frequently.
3. transcripts and subtitles
Transcripts and subtitles are an essential part of video accessibility. Without subtitles and transcripts, deaf or hearing-impaired users will not have access to what is being said in your videos. This also applies to podcasts or other audio files on your website.
Impact on SEO: Search engines are not very good at crawling and understanding video and audio content. So when you provide transcripts for video and audio files, you give search engines text that they can understand, which helps them understand your media. This can contribute to a better ranking of your video and audio content.
4. anchor text
Anchor text is the visible, clickable text in an HTML link. When screen readers scan the page, they recognize the links in the code and read the anchor text to the user. The screen reader informs visitors that there is a link and reads the anchor text as a description of the link so that users know what to expect when they visit the new page.
Effects on SEO: Internal links and their anchor texts are essential for many aspects of search engine optimization. From the user's (and search engine bot's) perspective, anchor text is a strong signal of what the linked page is about and how it relates to the current page. Anchor text is a "quick win" to give a page more context and relevance without adding additional text to the linked page itself.
5. breadcrumbs
"Breadcrumbs are the linked text at the top of a web page that shows the path and hierarchy of the page you are currently on. They make navigation easier for users with motor or visual disabilities by showing them where they are on the website and how they can navigate back on the website.
Impact on SEO: Breadcrumbs provide the same benefits for search engine optimization as they do for website accessibility. However, there is an added benefit for search engine optimization as breadcrumbs help search engines understand the structure of your website and allow you to include more internal links to connect pages throughout the site.
As we have shown, many aspects of search engine optimization and accessibility go hand in hand and have positive effects oneach other. When you align these two aspects of your website, you offer your users*insiden a better experienceimprove your web presence, increase visitor*visitorsnumbers and generate more sales. Inclusion not only offers many advantages for asomee fewbut for all people.
