We all know that inclusion practices are the right thing to do, but did you know that web accessibility can improve your website's ranking on search engines and increase traffic by making it more usable for everyone?
A recent study conducted by SEMRUSH and AccessibilityChecker.org reviewed over 800 websites and found that implementing accessibility remediation solutions led to a 12% increase in overall traffic on average, with 73.4% of domains seeing growth in organic traffic.
Our new article explains how web accessibility can boost your website's visibility and attract more visitors.
The impact of web accessibility on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has been a topic of discussion for some time now, but until recently, there was no concrete evidence to support the claim that web accessibility enhances SEO.
Here are the study's main findings:
Web accessibility can improve a website's ranking on search engines by making it more usable for all users. Having well-structured, easy-to-read content and adding alternative text descriptions for images can improve a site's usability and, thus, its ranking on search engines. Additionally, some search engines, like Google, may penalize websites that are not accessible, which could negatively impact their SEO.
It appears logical that expanding the number of people who can access your website would result in growth in organic traffic. For example, it is estimated that more than 1 million adults over 40 in the US are blind. Improving web accessibility could potentially tap into their business and develop brand loyalty.
Furthermore, Google's calculation of search engine rankings, known as SERP, takes into account web page usability and user experience. This means that websites with accessibility features are likely to rank higher than those without, leading marketers to believe such features boost online visibility and improve SEO.
Until recently, the connection between accessibility and these benefits has not been scientifically established. This has now changed with the searched conducted by SEMRUSH.
SEMRUSH, with the help of BuiltWith, created a tool that detects the technologies used on websites. The study identified 847 sites using accessibility remediation solutions and tracked their traffic before and after implementing these services. Data scientists analyzed the numbers and found that most sites experienced increased traffic after enhancing their accessibility measures. The results showed that 73.4% of the sites had a rise in organic traffic, with 66.1% seeing a growth of 1% to 50% and 7.3% experiencing a rise of more than 50%. AccessibilityChecker.org evaluated the impact of different accessibility solution providers and found that accessiBe's solutions were highly effective in increasing organic traffic. On average, all the sites surveyed experienced a 12% increase in traffic after implementing accessibility solutions. To tap into this potential, incorporating accessibility measures into your online property can be a valuable strategy.
Web accessibility is not only a moral imperative legally required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The study's findings suggest that web accessibility can drive growth in organic traffic and should be considered a key lever for improving online visibility. Companies looking to improve their SEO ranking should implement accessibility remediation solutions to appear in more searches, attract more website users, comply with legal requirements, and ensure their content is accessible to as many people as possible.
In conclusion, to enhance your brand awareness and attract more visits to online properties, making your website accessible should be a top priority.
For more information, visit www. accessibe.com
