--- title: Web Accessibility and SEO description: Web accessibility and SEO have a lot in common including some myths and misunderstandings. A common mistake is assuming they conflict with one another... image: https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Accessibility%20and%20SEO%20Where%E2%80%99s%20the%20Overlap.jpg --- - [skip to menu](https://blog.usablenet.com/web-accessibility-and-seo#nav) - [skip to content](https://blog.usablenet.com/web-accessibility-and-seo#main-content) - [skip to footer](https://blog.usablenet.com/web-accessibility-and-seo#footer) Test the accessibility of your website for free! Try UsableNet AQA. [Test now!](https://usablenet.com/automated-accessibility-testing-tool) Close [![UsableNet home](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SaaS%20Theme/2023%20Header%20and%20Footer/logo.png?width=429&height=62&name=logo.png)](https://usablenet.com/) - [Solutions](https://usablenet.com) ## Solutions [UsableNet Assistive](https://usablenet.com/technology/assistive-technology-services) A managed service combining experts, technology and legal support to make your website accessible [UsableNet AQA](https://usablenet.com/technology/aqa) Accessibility management and testing software for designers, developers, and testers [Accessibility Audits & Support Services](https://usablenet.com/services) Expert guidance and training to empower your team to create accessible digital experiences Explore which of our digital accessibility solutions is right for you [Watch a Demo](https://info.usablenet.com/choose-a-demo?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1737658630173.1737669055746.199&__hssc=181257784.7.1737669055746&__hsfp=3011104808) - [Resources](https://usablenet.com/resources) ## Resources - [E-books & Guides](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=E-books%20and%20Guides) - [Case Studies](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Case%20Studies) - [Reports](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Reports) - [Webinars](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Webinars) - [Tools](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Tools) - [All Resources](https://usablenet.com/resources) ## Essential Resources ![](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SaaS%20Theme/2023%20Header%20and%20Footer/resources-1.png?width=100&height=100&name=resources-1.png) [ADA accessibility lawsuit tracker](https://info.usablenet.com/ada-website-compliance-lawsuit-tracker) ![](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SaaS%20Theme/2023%20Header%20and%20Footer/resources-2.png?width=100&height=100&name=resources-2.png) [Checklist: how to achieve and maintain digital accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/digital-website-accessibility-checklist) ![](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SaaS%20Theme/2023%20Header%20and%20Footer/resources-3.png?width=100&height=100&name=resources-3.png) [Which remediation approach is right for me?](https://info.usablenet.com/website-accessibility-remediation-quiz) ![](https://blog.usablenet.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ADA%20Primer.png?width=100&height=100&name=ADA%20Primer.png) [A Primer on ADA and Digital Accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/a-primer-on-ada-and-digital-accessibility) The EAA is in Effect — Is Your Website Compliant? [Get Help with EN 301 549 Compliance](https://info.usablenet.com/eaa-en-301-549-compliance) - [Who We Serve](https://usablenet.com/strategic-relationships) ## Industry [E-commerce and Consumer Goods](https://info.usablenet.com/e-commerce-accessibility-solutions) [Food Service and Hospitality](https://info.usablenet.com/-industries-food-service-hospitality) [Banking and Financial Services](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-financial-services) [Healthcare](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-healthcare) [Technology and Business Services](https://info.usablenet.com/-industries-technology-and-business-services) [Public Sector and Education](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-public-sector-and-education) ## Compliance [Canadian Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-canada) [European Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/eaa-en-301-549-compliance) [Other International Accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-international) [United States Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-united-states) 2026 Midyear report on digital accessibility lawsuits in the US [Download Now](https://info.usablenet.com/2026-midyear-report) - [Pricing](https://usablenet.com/pricing) - [Blog](https://blog.usablenet.com/) - [About Us](https://usablenet.com/about-us) [Get a Demo](https://info.usablenet.com/contact) Close Open Menu - Solutions ## Solutions [UsableNet Assistive](https://usablenet.com/technology/assistive-technology-services) A managed service combining experts, technology and legal support to make your website accessible [UsableNet AQA](https://usablenet.com/technology/aqa) Accessibility management and testing software for designers, developers, and testers [Accessibility Audits & Support Services](https://usablenet.com/services) Expert guidance and training to empower your team to create accessible digital experiences Which accessibility remediation approach is right for me? [Take our Quiz](https://info.usablenet.com/website-accessibility-remediation-quiz) - Resources ## Resources [E-books & Guides](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=E-books%20and%20Guides) [Case Studies](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Case%20Studies) [Reports](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Reports) [Webinars](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Webinars) [Tools](https://usablenet.com/resources?contentType=Tools) [All Resources](https://usablenet.com/resources) ## Essential Resources [ADA accessibility lawsuit tracker](https://info.usablenet.com/ada-website-compliance-lawsuit-tracker?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) [Checklist: how to achieve and maintain digital accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/digital-website-accessibility-checklist?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) [Which remediation approach is right for me?](https://info.usablenet.com/website-accessibility-remediation-quiz?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) [A Primer on ADA and Digital Accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/a-primer-on-ada-and-digital-accessibility?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) The EAA is in Effect — Is Your Website Compliant? [Get Help with EN 301 549 Compliance](https://info.usablenet.com/eaa-en-301-549-compliance?__hstc=181257784.2243d86205d8f41e204908d6f6578263.1725908600455.1736198093211.1736205902814.174&__hssc=181257784.1.1736205902814&__hsfp=3011104808) - Who We Serve ## Industry [E-commerce and Consumer Goods](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-e-commerce-consumer-goods) [Food Service and Hospitality](https://info.usablenet.com/-industries-food-service-hospitality) [Banking and Financial Services](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-financial-services) [Healthcare](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-healthcare) [Technology and Business Services](https://info.usablenet.com/-industries-technology-and-business-services) [Public Sector and Education](https://info.usablenet.com/industries-public-sector-and-education) ## Compliance [Canadian Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-canada) [European Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-europe) [Other International Accessibility](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-international) [United States Accessibility Laws](https://info.usablenet.com/compliance-united-states) 2026 Midyear report on digital accessibility lawsuits in the US [Download Now](https://info.usablenet.com/2026-midyear-report) - [Pricing](https://usablenet.com/pricing) - [Blog](https://blog.usablenet.com/) - [About Us](https://usablenet.com/about-us) [Get a Demo](https://info.usablenet.com/contact) # Web Accessibility and SEO **By** [UsableNet](https://blog.usablenet.com/author/usablenet-1) on Oct 27, 2023 **Topics:** [Web Accessibility](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/web-accessibility) 0 Comments - - - ![Web Accessibility and SEO](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Accessibility%20and%20SEO%20Where%E2%80%99s%20the%20Overlap.jpg) [Web users conduct more than 3.5 billion Google searches every day](http://www.internetlivestats.com/google-search-statistics/), which means getting noticed online is harder than ever. Although most businesses turn to search engine optimization (SEO) tactics to get noticed, many don’t implement website accessibility best practices in order to reach the [more than one billion people](http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report/en/) worldwide living with a disability. Not surprisingly, there is plenty of overlap when it comes to website accessibility and SEO practices—and the topic of where and how they overlap is often divisive. From promoting the merging of accessibility and SEO activities to avoiding making too much of the relationship between the two, opinions about and approaches to web accessibility and SEO vary widely. The truth is, what you do for SEO can have a major effect on the quality of some aspects of accessibility, and vice versa. ## web accessibility and SEO Improvement Tips Overall, SEO shouldn’t be a driving business case or reason for committing to website accessibility, because accessibility has its own business case. Web accessibility is about supporting every customer—regardless of ability or limitations—and expanding your customer base while embracing your legal and social responsibilities. At the same time, it’s important to acknowledge the [overlap between SEO and web accessibility](https://www.handtalk.me/en/blog/accessibility-and-seo/) and how they influence each other because it will affect your teams and how they develop your website or apps. For example, the four main areas where SEO and accessibility overlap are: - Page titles - Headings (H1, H2, and so on) - Alt attributes - Link anchor text Page titles, headings, alt attributes, and link anchor text are all crucial for assistive technologies and achieving accessibility compliance according to the [widely accepted Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/). Here are some of our picks for blog articles that discuss and debate the often sticky SEO-accessibility overlap: [![See our full guide on web accessibility. >>](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3280432/485cb1cc-ad69-472b-b817-59cb57129c9d.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3280432/485cb1cc-ad69-472b-b817-59cb57129c9d)   ## “What You Should Know About Web Accessibility and SEO, Part I: An Intro” by Laura Lippay Whereas McMichael highlights the importance of accessibility for boosting SEO and Groves argues against championing accessibility to boost SEO, Laura Lippay tackles the complexity of the issue in her [blog article](https://moz.com/blog/accessibility-seo-1)—especially if you dig through the comments section. Lippay mentions additional areas where SEO and accessibility can overlap, well beyond the traditional four mentioned above, including: - Video transcriptions - Captions on images - Site maps, breadcrumbs, and tables of contents - Order of content - Text size and color contrast - Semantic HTML Lippay, an organic search and technical optimization lead, writes that a page title fully optimized for SEO may not be the best descriptive page title for a user of a screen reader. But having unique page titles as a base level can benefit both SEO and website accessibility. Likewise, having meaningful alt text for images on a page can be good for SEO and accessibility. But if you place too many alt texts to maximize SEO, you could make a page annoying for a screen-reader user who is listening to the page. For example, alt text such as “women’s black Chuck Taylor All-Stars buy Chucks online women’s online women’s chuck taylors all-stars for sale” might be great for SEO, but “Chuck Taylor All Star Classic Colors Black Monochrome” is more appropriate for assistive technology. ## The Middle Ground It’s worth mentioning, as Lippay does in the comments on her post, how far the accessibility and SEO industries have come. “Imagine how bad it was for people with disabilities back in the days when keyword stuffing used to be all the rage,” she writes. “It's no wonder that industry isn't fond of SEO.” So, although there is an overlap between accessibility and SEO, it’s important to strike a balance in order to be accessible to assistive technology users while maximizing the effect on SEO ranking. Lastly, a number of industry observers have indicated that [Google could make accessibility a criterion for search engine rankings](https://blogs.perficientdigital.com/2018/01/12/website-accessibility-benefit-seo/)—as it did with mobile compatibility—within the next one to two years. This would mainly be an extension of the factors Google already considers important in ranking, such as content structure, semantics, and other best practices for web content. Although it would be welcomed by the disability community to help increase awareness of the [importance of accessibility](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-web-accessibility/199500/), it may not have a big impact of SEO results, considering the small overlap. Make the right business case by pushing for the legally and socially responsible solution: complete website accessibility. Find out more about how you can achieve compliance now by downloading our e-book [Web & App Accessibility: Your Roadmap to Digital Inclusion](https://info.usablenet.com/web-and-app-accessibility). [![Free Guide: Web and App Accessibility: Your Roadmap to Digital Inclusion Download Now](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3280432/7c76253c-5e33-4575-9def-1035d5a99f6a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3280432/7c76253c-5e33-4575-9def-1035d5a99f6a) ![UsableNet](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/UsableNet%20Logo%20150%20x%20150.png) ### [UsableNet](https://blog.usablenet.com/author/usablenet-1) Founded in 2000, UsableNet created some of the first tools and platforms to make websites accessible and usable for all people. Starting out, we worked with government agencies as well as universities and corporations. Today, accessibility has become important to almost all companies. We provide accessibility solutions to Fortune 1000 companies, small and medium enterprises, government, and education organizations across industries including retail, travel, hospitality, food services, automotive, financial services, and healthcare. - - - - ### Related posts ![Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-check-in-and-in-stay-barriers-for-blind-guests) Jul 15, 2026 ![Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-browsing-room-options) Jul 14, 2026 ![Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Registration%20-%20Midyear%20Report.png) [Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/inside-the-2026-midyear-numbers-where-digital-accessibility-litigation-is-going) Jul 8, 2026 ![The Low-Cost Moves That Strengthen an ADA Website Defense](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/The%20Low-Cost%20Moves%20That%20Strengthen%20an%20ADA%20Website%20Defense.png) [The Low-Cost Moves That Strengthen an ADA Website Defense](https://blog.usablenet.com/the-low-cost-moves-that-strengthen-an-ada-website-defense) Jun 16, 2026 ### Sign Up for the UsableNet Blog ### Recent Posts ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-check-in-and-in-stay-barriers-for-blind-guests) Jul 15, 2026 ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-browsing-room-options) Jul 14, 2026 ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Registration%20-%20Midyear%20Report.png) [Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/inside-the-2026-midyear-numbers-where-digital-accessibility-litigation-is-going) Jul 8, 2026 ### Posts by Topic - [Web Accessibility (311)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/web-accessibility) - [User Experience (113)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/user-experience) - [ADA Lawsuits (45)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/ada-lawsuits) - [ADA Website Compliance (38)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/ada-website-compliance) - [European Accessibility Act (34)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/european-accessibility-act) - [Mobile Web (30)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-web) - [Mobile Apps (27)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-apps) - [Retail (27)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/retail) ![](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Consultation%20Icon.svg) Need to improve digital usability, accessibility or performance? 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