Many organisations still see website accessibility as only a compliance requirement rather than a strategic performance enhancer. But in 2025 the evidence shows accessible websites attract more users, better engagement and improved brand reputation – all of which support SEO and business growth.

Accessibility and SEO: A Shared Goal
Search engines favour websites that are easy to navigate, readable and well‑structured. Features such as alt text for images, descriptive links, semantic heading structures, keyboard navigation and clean code all support accessibility – and they also make it easier for search algorithms to crawl and understand your content.

Studies show that as of 2025 the average number of detectable accessibility errors per homepage has dropped slightly to around 51 errors from 56.8 in 2024. Also, homepages are becoming more complex: the average number of elements per page rose to 1,257 (a 7.1% increase year‑on‑year).

From an SEO perspective: more elements = more risk of mis‑structured markup, hidden navigation, confusing layouts – all of which can hinder both usability and indexing.

Engagement Through Inclusive Design
Accessible sites aren’t just for users with disabilities; they provide a better experience for everyone. For example: simpler layouts, clear headings, straightforward navigation, high‑contrast text, and well‑labelled form fields reduce frustration and help users find what they need.

In the non‑profit and charity sector especially, where budgets are tight and audience trust is key, improving engagement metrics (like dwell time, pages per session, bounce rate) can make a big difference.

With most homepages (around 95%) still showing some WCAG failures, there’s a wide gap for improvement. When users encounter inaccessible features (say missing alt text, poor contrast, broken keyboard nav), they’re more likely to leave quickly – which sends negative signals to search engines and undermines brand reputation.

The Assistive Toolbar Advantage
A website accessibility toolbar enables users to tailor experiences to their needs: increase text size, switch to high‑contrast mode, enable dyslexic fonts, turn off animations, etc.

From a business and engagement viewpoint:

• It empowers more users to stay longer and explore more pages.
• It reduces drop‑off from frustration or inability to access content.
• It signals to audiences (especially in the public sector/universities/charities) that you take inclusion seriously, improving trust and brand image.
• It indirectly supports SEO: more engaged users = lower bounce, longer dwell time, higher likelihood of conversion or share.

Business Case: Beyond Compliance
Here’s what the data in 2025 tells us:

• According to the World Health Organization, over 1.3 billion people (about 16% of the global population) live with some form of disability.
• A recent audit of “blind & low vision user” accessibility found only 5% of tested websites were fully accessible, while 64% were deemed inaccessible.
• Legal and regulatory risk is increasing: e.g., the new rule under the European Accessibility Act (EAA) took effect in 2025 and mandates stronger digital accessibility obligations.

Given this, accessibility is not just a “nice to have”, it’s a strategic necessity for organisations that want to reach wider audiences, manage risk, improve user experience and support SEO.

Actionable Steps for Organisations

1. Conduct both automated and manual accessibility audits (covering keyboard navigation, screen‑reader experience, colour contrast, form labelling).
2. Prioritise fixes that support both accessibility and SEO: alt text, heading structure, clear link text, meaningful image descriptions, skip‑links.
3. Implement an assistive toolbar, such as Accessibility Toolbar, that allows user customisation – this can often be added without major overhaul.
4. Monitor key metrics: bounce rate, pages per session, dwell time – look for improvements post‑accessibility fixes.
5. Make accessibility part of governance: include it in design, QA, content creation and ongoing review – not just a one‑time project.
6. Educate stakeholders (marketing, UX, content teams) about the shared benefits of accessibility and SEO.

Accessibility and SEO are deeply interconnected. By investing in inclusive design, usability and tools like an assistive toolbar, you create a stronger, broader digital presence. For public sector entities, universities, charities and SMBs alike, accessibility is a pathway to better reach, engagement, reputation and performance – not simply a compliance cost.