How to Audit Your Website for Accessibility and SEO
To effectively audit your website for accessibility and SEO, assess site structure, check WCAG compliance, optimize metadata, improve page speed, and test usability across devices. Regular audits help boost rankings, user experience, and improve compliance.
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Key Takaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is accessibility important for SEO?
Top tools include WAVE by WebAIM, Axe DevTools, Lighthouse, and screen readers like NVDA or VoiceOver. Each provides insight into different aspects of web accessibility.
What tools should I use to audit accessibility?
Top tools include WAVE by WebAIM, Axe DevTools, Lighthouse, and screen readers like NVDA or VoiceOver. Each provides insight into different aspects of web accessibility.
How often should I audit my website?
Perform a full audit every 6–12 months or whenever you launch a new design, major update, or add significant content. Ongoing spot checks help maintain performance and compliance.
What is WCAG and why does it matter?
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.1 is the global accessibility standard used to ensure web content is accessible to people with disabilities. It helps prevent discrimination and supports legal compliance.
Can accessibility impact conversion rates?
Absolutely. Accessible websites are easier to navigate for all users, which increases trust, reduces friction, and leads to better conversion rates—especially for e-commerce or lead generation sites.
Step by Step Plan
Evaluate Site Structure and Navigation
Start by reviewing your website’s hierarchy, URL structure, and menu navigation. An intuitive structure aids users and helps search engines crawl efficiently.
Run Automated Accessibility and SEO Tests
Use tools like Google Lighthouse, WAVE, and Screaming Frog to catch issues like missing alt text, meta tag problems, low contrast, and duplicate content.
Check Against WCAG 2.1 Standards
Manually test readability, keyboard navigation, and screen reader compatibility following Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 for full coverage.
Check Against WCAG 2.1 Standards
Evaluate title tags, meta descriptions, headers (H1-H6), image alt text, and internal linking. Ensure each page has unique, optimized content for search intent.
Optimize Mobile Usability and Performance
Test your site’s responsiveness on various devices and improve loading speed using Google's PageSpeed Insights and Core Web Vitals.
Comparison Table
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