Is Your Web Content Accessible?
(Page 1 of 4 )
Web content accessibility is one of the most overlooked and undervalued aspects of web design. On the other hand, search engine optimization continues to be a top priority for any serious web developer. But what most people don't realize is that making your site more accessible will give it a boost in the SERPs as well. This article will not only explain why, but will also offer web accessibility tools that can be effective for SEO.
According to Wikipedia, web accessibility is an approach to web design that aims to make websites "usable by people of all abilities and disabilities." For the most part, this refers to people who are either visually or hearing impaired or are immobile in certain parts of the body necessary to operate a computer. Consequently, these people must use special software, such as screen readers and magnifiers and speech recognition software, to help them utilize the Internet. It is up to the web designer to code pages so that all users can navigate through them.
It's also important to remember that people with disabilities aren't the only ones who may have trouble navigating a website that isn't completely web accessible. As you know, people are now connecting to the Internet via many different types of devices that, in turn, employ a variety of user agents to access web content. Internet users often find themselves constrained by their environment (e.g. noisy surroundings, bad lighting, etc.). Employing accessibility standards will not only provide a better user experience, but will also help a search bot crawl your site. After all, a search bot is basically a user that needs enhanced accessibility.
All of the web content accessibility guidelines discussed in this article can be found in version 1.0 on the W3C website. However, criticisms have been made against this version for being out of touch with current technology. And though version 2.0 is now complete, it has been accused of being unorganized and difficult to understand.
Because of this, Joe Clark and his team of developers created the WCAG Samurai errata for WCAG 1.0. They claim to provide a more coherent and up-to-date guide that is more practical for common web design. Check out all three and decide for yourself which is best. Using them will also help clarify some of the things being talked about in this article.
The following sections will go over some of the more important ways to enhance your site's accessibility that are also conducive to good SEO.
Next: Provide a Good Description >>
More Search Optimization Articles
More By Michael Lowry
/ 8 
