Accessible Websites and Their Overlap with SEO

Both in 2022 and 2023, inclusion is one of the most important social and entrepreneurial topics that companies are dealing with. Accessibility has become indispensable in many areas of everyday life. Accessibility is often equated with being disability-friendly in many cases. Unfortunately, this label is incorrect. Accessibility aims to enable all people to use products, leisure activities, and services without barriers. An accessible website is one of the many important measures and tools on the way to this goal. From mid-2025, it will even become mandatory for many website operators. What digital accessibility means, what requirements it must meet, and what advantages an accessible website brings you for search engine optimization, you will read about in this article.

What does accessibility mean for websites?

An accessible website is accessible to every user without technical or personal restrictions. This includes, for instance, people with visual impairments, visual or hearing disabilities, but also people with motor impairments or concentration difficulties. Likewise, non-native speakers or the elderly. Moreover, the different devices users utilize should also be taken into account. In essence, all web pages should aim to be used by everyone equally without restriction.

What requirements must an accessible website meet?

The topic of accessible web design is very complex, so we can only give you an overview of the most important criteria here that cannot claim to be exhaustive.

One of the most important requirements for accessible websites is legible fonts. In general, sans-serif fonts are more readable. Fonts composed entirely of uppercase letters should be avoided, as they are not easily captured by the eye. The font should not be too small, but it is especially important that the font on the website can be enlarged. So-called decorative fonts should be used primarily as their name suggests - for decoration, not to convey important information.

The color design of the website greatly influences readability. High contrast between, for example, the background and text, elements and background, button color, and button text, etc., ensures that even users with visual impairments can perceive the content well. It's also important to consider those with red-green color blindness, for instance, red text on a green background should be avoided at all costs. If texts are to be placed over images, ensure there is sufficient contrast. Too busy images with text are, for example, a barrier for users with concentration difficulties. Here, it helps to lay the text over a solid background. High contrasts also benefit users who visit your website outdoors with direct sunlight on their screen.

Buttons need to be large enough and clearly recognizable as such. Links should be placed with sufficient distance from each other. It's also advisable to check whether these buttons are easily identifiable by screen readers. In general, care should be taken that the website can be completely operated via screen readers.

Images are only partially or not at all perceivable by people with visual impairments, so alternative texts are indispensable. This is particularly true for graphics that are not placed purely as decorative objects but convey their own content. For instance, infographics or photos for illustration. Image descriptions must reflect this content.

A simple language on the website significantly aids readability. Unless the texts are specifically directed at a specialist audience, using an easily understandable language removes many barriers. Incidentally, it is also discussed whether simple language might be a better choice for specialist texts, and whether so many technical terms and foreign language words, as well as complex sentences, are really necessary.

All users benefit from a clear page structure - with an intuitively operable navigation and a clear document structure with a correct hierarchy. Headings with semantic markup separate paragraphs with headers and establish a hierarchical logical relationship that screen readers can recognize based on the headlines.

Tables should only be used for tabular data, not for element layout. Although this type of web design is no longer the standard in 2022, we know from practice that formatting with tables hasn't completely gone away. Not good practice, not only for accessibility reasons.

Format lists and numbered bullet points as HTML elements so that they can be recognized by screen readers as ordered, unordered, or numbered lists. List elements should not be used as design elements, but only to display list content.

Be cautious when embedding multimedia content: The so-called embedding of content from other platforms poses challenges for accessibility. Even though, for example, video content is increasingly being provided by large platforms with automatic subtitles and/or transcripts, you cannot be sure how accessible this content is. If embedded media is necessary, ensure that you reflect the most important information from them in the text.

ARIA Labels: An indispensable tool for accessibility on websites and SEO

Apart from all the requirements mentioned above, there are additional aspects to consider when designing an accessible website. One aspect is the so-called ARIA Labels. ARIA Labels (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) are an essential part of accessible web design and contribute to the improved accessibility of web content. They are special HTML attributes that provide additional information about certain elements on a website and enhance accessibility for people with disabilities.

These labels especially help screen readers and other assistive technologies to better interpret and navigate the website. For example, an ARIA label can add invisible text that explains a symbol or describes a menu that would be incomprehensible to people with visual impairments without this additional information.

ARIA labels also contribute to actual search engine optimization, as they help search engines better understand the context and structure of a website. This leads to better indexing and potentially higher rankings in search results. However, it is important that ARIA labels are used correctly. Excessive or incorrect use can lead to confusion, both for users of assistive technologies and for search engines. Therefore, the use of these labels should be carefully planned and tested.

What is the difference between accessible and barrier-free?

The term “accessible” is much more widespread, yet sometimes “barrier-free web design” is also used. Behind this is the idea that “accessible” as an absolute state is difficult to achieve and it is always an approximation - barriers should be removed, and the fewer barriers present on the website, the better. We will continue to use the term “accessibility” as it is the goal. Every single step in this process helps to make the website less restrictive. Further in this article, it becomes clearer why the term "barrier-free" will no longer be adequate after 2025. "Accessible" will eventually become mandatory for the affected websites. The sooner this process is tackled, the better.

Why is an accessible website important?

Requirements for accessible access are increasing. Public tenders, for example, are increasingly demanding accessibility, and internationally active companies must comply with other countries' legislation. As you will see in the laws in the next section, accessibility is already mandatory in some cases or will be in the coming years. However, there are other equally important reasons for an accessible website.

Accessible web design makes a website more user-friendly. Therefore, all visitors benefit from accessible websites. This in turn has a positive effect on customer satisfaction.

When you make your web presence accessible to everyone, you exclude no one. This not only allows you to expand your target audience, but above all, you take practical steps to implement the corporate values of inclusion and accessibility. At a time when many customers critically examine what values companies stand for, a clear statement and practical implementation send an important message. Since many website operators pay less attention to the topic due to the increased time investment, it is especially important to address the issue now. Engaging in accessibility not only makes a clear statement but also generates a certain role model function.

What standards and laws apply to digital accessibility?

The worldwide standard for internet accessibility is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), developed and continually updated by a working group of the World Wide Web Consortium. The current standard is WCAG 2.2.

Besides the technical foundation, there are various national and international regulations on accessibility. An overview of the most important ones:
In Germany, there is the Barrier-Free Information Technology Ordinance (BITV 2.0), which refers to the European standard, the EN 301 549.

Federal authorities are required to have accessible websites under the Act on Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities (BGG). The accessibility of the websites of public agencies in federal states and municipalities is regulated by state laws and specific state ordinances. In Berlin, for instance, it is the Accessible-ICT-Act Berlin - BIKTG Bln.

In the private sector, accessibility on the web is also expected to become mandatory. The Accessibility Enhancement Act (full name: Act to Implement the Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and the Council on the Accessibility Requirements for Products and Services (BFSG)) is based on the EU Directive on Accessibility Requirements for Products and Services. The BFSG lists sectors that will be required to provide accessible websites and apps starting at the end of June 2025. This includes websites for foundations, colleges and universities, social insurance agencies, but also banks or online retailers. 

While the issue of accessibility is not currently mandatory for many websites, it is important to be prepared for it early on. In addition, an accessible website reflects forward-looking corporate values such as inclusion and accessibility (Accessibility).

Is accessibility a ranking factor?

It is no secret that Google has been emphasizing the importance of a website's user-friendliness for many years. There are various recommendations, tools, and hints from Google about what exactly this means. Good usability, particularly on mobile devices, a design without noticeable layout shifts, and fast loading times are factors that Google positively evaluates.

So, is accessibility a direct ranking factor?

Currently, it is not, but various measures that improve accessibility contribute to better search engine optimization. We will look at what these measures are in the next section.

How does accessibility help with search engine optimization?

You may have already noticed the large overlap between SEO and accessibility in the requirements mentioned above. Both screen readers and search engines work in a text-based manner and are dependent on all information being available in text form. This alone shows how accessibility can bring benefits in search engine optimization. Specifically, these are the factors:

• Image optimization: Alternative texts and image descriptions not only help people with visual impairments but also help search engines understand the contents of images. This is especially true for graphics that complement the page's content and contain their own information. The alternative text must contain the information in the image.

• A correct, logical semantic structure also aids search engine optimization. Headings that contain relevant terms and relate to the content of the following paragraph are partially "automatically" optimized for important keywords. Using terms that are common and frequently searched for helps with readability and understanding.

• Responsive Web Design has been a standard for years, and we have long recommended it for SEO reasons. It also aids accessibility, as it ensures optimal display regardless of the device used.

• Speaking link texts provide users and search engines with information about the linked page. Anchor texts like “here” or “read more” do not convey any information—and do not contain keywords that could help the linked page rank better.

• To what extent search engines can identify how understandable the language of a website is remains speculative. What is clear is that Google is heavily investing in understanding text semantically, recognizing content and language. It is also assumed that Google can distinguish between very long complex sentences and shorter (more understandable) sentences. Better readability is an SEO criterion and helps accessibility.

• Specifying the language in the source code might be only limitedly necessary for search engines, but it helps screen readers with choosing the correct pronunciation. From experience, we know of websites with incorrect language settings that had massive indexing issues that were at least partially due to this.

• Transcripts for audio and video are another measure that benefits both users and search engines. The content is made available to all for reading - and can thus be categorized thematically and found in the search.

5 Tips for Implementing Digital Accessibility

1.     High prioritization of the topic

Even if it may seem that accessibility affects only a small part of your target group, it is important to give this topic high priority. On the one hand, you might be affected by legislation that requires you to have an accessible website by 2025. On the other hand, accessibility brings you additional benefits like better optimization for search engines. Firmly anchoring inclusion as a corporate value and practically implementing it is another bonus.

2.     Keep accessibility in mind from the beginning

Are you planning a website relaunch, or is a new online shop to be launched? Consider accessible web design from the start to save resources and budget. As with search engine optimization, the earlier you consider the requirements, the better. Making massive changes afterwards is generally associated with significantly more effort and costs.

3.     Separate layout and content

One of the most important rules in accessible web design is the separation of content and design. Modern CMS already provide these prerequisites, but self-programmed websites do not always. Therefore, make sure of a clear separation when planning the system and templates.

4.     Keep up with current standards

Accessibility is continuously being developed, with new formats, standards, and criteria emerging. Stay up to date or employ a web design and development team familiar with the current standards.

5.     Train the editorial team

The basic structure of the website and the technical prerequisites are one aspect of accessibility. From an editorial standpoint, there is still much that can be done right or wrong. Excellent content marketing involves improving the editorial team and establishing a mandatory internal standard. For example, you could require alternative texts for images and the correct use of lists. Establish easily recognizable colors with high contrast as part of the corporate design and easy language in corporate communication.

Accessibility Yes! - But How to Verify?

After all the measures to be considered in creating an accessible website, the question arises of how to verify that everything is working correctly. How can I ensure that my measures have been correctly implemented?

Google Lighthouse is a highly useful open-source tool that assists web developers in evaluating the performance, accessibility, and quality of their websites. Particularly in the field of accessibility, it offers significant advantages.

Lighthouse checks a website's accessibility according to established standards and provides a detailed evaluation with specific recommendations for improvement. For instance, the tool can highlight missing alt texts for images, which are important for the visually impaired, or missing ARIA attributes that enhance navigability for users with limited mobility.

Moreover, Lighthouse provides detailed documentation on each reported issue. This makes it easier for developers to understand the exact cause of the problem and to initiate targeted actions to address it.

It is important to note that while Lighthouse offers a comprehensive overview of many accessibility aspects, it is not a substitute for manual reviews or user tests with people with disabilities. Some accessibility issues, particularly those requiring contextual understanding or specific interactions, may not be captured by automated tests.

By integrating Google Lighthouse into the development process, accessibility issues can be identified and resolved early on, leading to an overall better user experience for all users.

Is your website accessible, responsive, and optimized? We can help!

Do you want to bring your website up to current standards in terms of accessibility and usability? Our SEO relaunch support not only considers points that increase your visibility and traffic. We also analyze your usability and can advise you on the topic of accessible websites, implementing your wishes in line with current standards. Feel free to contact us and get a non-binding offer!

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