A recent study has identified that the most overlooked aspect of technical optimization is website accessibility for the visually impaired and blind.
The study, conducted by Searchmetrics, utilized Google Lighthouse to evaluate the technical optimization of high-ranking websites.
Generally, the study’s findings align with expectations. Websites that rank highly tend to be fast, utilize the latest web technologies, and maintain an adequate level of security.
However, what was particularly notable is that many top-ranking websites on Google are not sufficiently accessible to individuals with disabilities.
The average overall accessibility score for websites appearing in the top 20 positions on Google was 66.6 out of 100.
This score was the lowest among the four website categories evaluated by Lighthouse in the study.
The Google Lighthouse accessibility score assesses website performance based on tests measuring factors like color contrast and whether images, buttons, and fields in online forms have meaningful names and descriptions.
Daniel Furch, Director of Marketing EMEA at Searchmetrics, commented on these findings:
“If you don’t make your site easily accessible to those with disabilities, including those with impaired vision, you cut yourself off from a large group of visitors. Not only is it ethically a good idea to be inclusive, but also obviously you could be turning away potential customers. And some sites have even faced lawsuits for failing on this issue.”
To learn more about Google Lighthouse ranking factors in 2019, refer to the complete study.
