A truly effective website is accessible to everyone, including users with disabilities. As website owners, embracing accessibility not only ensures a broader audience but can also provide a significant boost to SEO. WordPress, as a versatile platform, offers numerous tools and techniques to achieve this. In this blog, we’ll explore how improving accessibility in WordPress can be a double win: catering to a wider audience and enhancing your website’s SEO.
1. Understanding Accessibility and SEO
At the heart of both accessibility and SEO is the user experience. An accessible website ensures that all users, regardless of disabilities, can navigate and understand the content. SEO, on the other hand, focuses on optimizing a website so that it ranks higher on search engines, primarily by offering valuable content to users. When a site is accessible, it’s naturally more user-friendly, which search engines reward.
2. Accessible Content is Quality Content
Search engines thrive on high-quality content. When your content is readable and understandable to all, including users with disabilities, search engines view it as more valuable, leading to better rankings.
3. Leveraging Alt Text for Images
Alt text serves a dual purpose. For visually impaired users utilizing screen readers, the alt text describes what’s in an image. For search engines, it provides context, helping them understand and index the image correctly. Always ensure every image on your WordPress site has relevant and concise alt text.
4. Making Use of Semantic HTML
Semantic HTML tags provide meaning and structure to web content. Using them ensures that screen readers can interpret the content hierarchy, and it also helps search engines understand and rank your content better.
5. Embracing Keyboard Navigation
Keyboard navigation allows users who cannot use a mouse to navigate your website using only the keyboard. Search engines take note of sites that prioritize such user-centric features.
6. The Value of Clear and Understandable Content
Avoid jargon and ensure your content is clear. Use tools to check the readability score of your posts. Not only will this make your content accessible to people with cognitive disabilities, but it will also keep your audience engaged, leading to decreased bounce rates – a significant factor for SEO.
7. The Power of Accessible Forms
Ensure that all forms on your website are labeled correctly, making it easier for screen readers. Accessible forms also reduce the chances of users abandoning them due to confusion, positively impacting conversion rates.
8. Plugins to Aid in Accessibility and SEO
There are several WordPress plugins that can assist in making your site more accessible, such as WP Accessibility and One Click Accessibility. For SEO benefits, tools like Yoast SEO offer readability checks in addition to SEO analysis.
In the digital age, inclusivity is paramount. Making your WordPress site accessible ensures everyone can benefit from your content. As an added advantage, these steps resonate with SEO best practices, guaranteeing a more extensive reach. Commit to accessibility, and watch your audience, and search rankings, flourish!