23 February 2007

Accessibility and search engine optimisation (SEO) are tied together in website design, one expert believes.

Peter Abrahams, the Practice Leader of Bloor Research, claimed that it is vital for search engine performance that a site is designed to accessibility standards, as search spiders use similar methods to screen readers.

However, the expert also notes that in order for a site to be truly accessible, it must rank highly in search engines, as web users with physical or visual impairments take longer to surf through many pages to find what they are looking for.

"This means that search engine optimisation is part of making a site more accessible," he wrote on IT-Director.com.

The expert added that this should lead web designers to consider their word usage on pages more carefully, taking into account phrases or terms which web users would be likely to enter.

Last year, Miguel Gonzales, the Senior Web Developer at telecoms provider PATLive, predicted that a more accessible site would lead to a notable rise in sales as a wider customer base can be reached.

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