Accessibility, usability and SEO: A study on social inclusiveness

The number of users using the internet grows continuously, which is why it has become even more critical to make the information on the websites easy to access. Websites and their content should be easy to find, but also easy to use. Usually the process to finding information starts from search engines. Search engine optimization focuses on making the information and the websites easier to find, and different websites compete on the highest rankings on the search results page. After the wanted website is found, the user starts to navigate through the website. If the website is usable, the user will enjoy his/her experience on the page and probably end up finding the information they are looking for. But what about the situations when the user does not experience the website in the same way? Accessibility standards aim to provide the content of the website for users with different kinds of disabilities. When a website is accessible, it means that the content is available for everyone, without considering the fact if someone needs the help of assistive technologies. However, sometimes when the information of the website is separated from the whole, it changes the experience. Emphasizing both the usability and accessibility aspects of the website compose a socially inclusive website, a website that provides equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of their disabilities. An analysis comparing different university websites reveals that compounding the aspects of usability, or more specifically a good information architecture, and accessibility can have a positive impact on how the website performs in search engine rankings. There are also other consistencies between usability, accessibility and search engine optimization. In summary, it can be assumed that combining accessibility and usability into social inclusiveness can affect on how the website performs in search engines