- Accessibility isn't one of the signals Google lists for page experience, so a WCAG badge won't move your ranking by itself.
- Much of the work overlaps: alt text, descriptive links, real text, clear page titles and headings help screen readers and search engines alike.
- Captions and transcripts make what's said in a video readable by search engines and by people who can't hear it.
- Fix things for your customers first. Any search benefit comes from the same work.
The short answer
Google doesn't rank pages on whether they meet WCAG. Its guidance on page experience talks about things like Core Web Vitals, secure (HTTPS) pages, how well a page works on mobile, and avoiding intrusive pop-ups. Accessibility isn't one of the signals it lists. (Google Search Central: page experience)
So be wary of anyone who promises that an accessibility badge, toolbar or certificate will lift your ranking.
But that isn't the end of the story. Search engines read websites a bit like a screen reader does: they rely on text, structure and descriptions rather than how the page looks. Many of the fixes that make a site accessible also make it easier for search engines to understand, and that does help.
Where accessibility and SEO overlap
Alt text on images
Alt text describes an image for people who can't see it. Google says it uses alt text, together with computer vision and the rest of the page, to understand what an image shows. (Google: image SEO best practices)
Describe what's actually in the photo: "New asphalt shingle roof on a two-storey house in Grimsby" helps a screen-reader user and image search alike. A list of keywords helps neither.
Descriptive link text
Screen-reader users often jump from link to link, so "click here" and "read more" tell them nothing. Google also uses the words in a link to understand the page it points to, and recommends link text that's descriptive and makes sense on its own. (Google: crawlable links)
"See our furnace repair service" does both jobs.
Real text, not pictures of text
WCAG asks for text to be real text, not baked into an image, so it can be enlarged, re-coloured and read aloud. Search engines and AI tools also read text far more reliably than pictures of it. If your services, prices or towns are in a graphic, put them in words as well.
Page titles and headings
Every page needs a title that says what it's about. It's a WCAG requirement, and the page title is usually what search results show as the clickable headline. Clear headings in a sensible order let screen-reader users skim, and they give search engines a clear outline of what the page covers.
Captions and transcripts
Captions and transcripts make a video usable for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. They also turn what's said in the video into text on the page, which search engines can read and people can find.
Mobile, zoom and pop-ups
WCAG asks that pages still work when enlarged and on narrow screens, which overlaps with Google's attention to how pages display on mobile. And a pop-up that covers the page and is hard to close is a barrier for keyboard and screen-reader users; Google's guidance notes intrusive interstitials make content less accessible.
What accessibility won't do
- It won't replace the basics of local search. Your Google Business Profile, consistent listings and recent reviews still matter most for local businesses.
- It won't work as a shortcut. A statement, badge or plugin doesn't change your ranking. The changes to the pages are what count.
- It won't guarantee anything. Nobody can honestly promise a ranking, with or without accessibility.
Why do it anyway
More than one in four Canadians aged 15 and older has a disability, and larger Ontario businesses are required to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA on their public websites. Our guide to what WCAG 2.2 means for local businesses covers the people, the law and a practical checklist.
The simplest way to think about it: build the site for every customer who might use it. A site that works with a screen reader, a keyboard and a phone held in bright sun is also one that search engines and AI tools find easy to read. Our guide to making your website readable by AI takes that further.
Where to start
- Add accurate alt text to every meaningful image.
- Replace "click here" and "read more" with link text that says where the link goes.
- Check every page has a clear, unique title and real headings.
- Put any text that lives in images into the page as well.
- Add captions to videos, and a transcript where it helps.
- Test the site on your phone and at 200% zoom, and make any pop-up easy to close.
Put this to work
Managed Website is part of Velocity, for Traction clients once their 30-day trial is complete. During the trial you can ask for mock website designs, a site audit and a free website consultation.
This article is general information for business owners, not legal advice. Survey figures are US consumer research where noted; we are not aware of equivalent published Canadian surveys and do not present them as Canadian data.