Digital accessibility as the key to greater online visibility

Digital accessibility not only improves the user experience—it also significantly increases visibility in search engines. Through targeted measures such as adjusting contrast ratios, improving keyboard navigation, and optimizing forms, one bank was able to increase its online visibility by over 70 percent within six months.

The underestimated competitive factor: accessibility

Many companies invest large sums in marketing and search engine optimization, overlooking one of the most influential factors for digital visibility: accessibility.

Websites that are not accessible to all user groups not only lose potential customers, but also valuable ranking points. Search engines such as Google have long considered user-friendliness and technical accessibility to be quality features. Missing alternative texts, unclear form labels, or unusable navigation elements mean that search engines understand the content less well and users bounce more quickly.

And in the age of AI-based search results and automatic summaries, as Google is already testing, this is becoming even more important:

A lack of structure or poorly accessible content can result in the website not being recognized by AI at all or being summarized incorrectly – an invisible but fatal competitive disadvantage.

The result: lower visibility, less organic reach, and thus less market share in the digital space.

Why digital accessibility affects everyone

Accessibility in the digital space is often associated with disabilities, but it affects us all, every day.

Whether young or old, with or without limitations: sooner or later, everyone encounters obstacles online.

A few simple examples:

• Poor readability on smartphones in sunlight: low contrast makes text difficult to read.
• Unclear form instructions or error messages: even tech-savvy users often give up here because they don't understand what is missing or wrong.
• Inconsistent design: When layouts, colors, or controls change from page to page and do not adhere to best practices, confusion arises. Users have to constantly reorient themselves, become frustrated, and leave the website.

Such barriers lead to frustration, abandonment, and declining user satisfaction, directly impacting brand perception and visibility.

Digital accessibility therefore means not only “access for all,” but above all a better user experience for everyone, regardless of circumstances.

It makes websites more intuitive, understandable, and powerful, which is appreciated not only by users but also by search engines.

The international standard for digital accessibility

The abbreviation WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines – international guidelines that define how digital content can be made accessible to all people. They were developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and are considered the global standard for accessible websites.

The WCAG are based on four basic principles:

• Perceptible – Content must be perceivable by all users (e.g., through sufficient contrast or alternative text for images).
• Operable – All functions should be usable without a mouse, for example, via keyboard or voice control.
• Understandable – Content and navigation must be clear and logical.
• Robust – Websites must work on different devices, browsers, and with assistive technologies.

For companies, this means that compliance with WCAG, for example according to the WCAG 2.1 AA standard, not only ensures a better user experience and higher SEO performance, but also offers legal certainty.

This is because binding requirements for digital accessibility already apply in the EU and Germany. These include the Accessibility Enhancement Act (BFSG) and Directive (EU) 2016/2102 on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies.

In addition, the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) extends these obligations:

From June 28, 2025, private companies must also ensure that their digital products and services are designed to be accessible. This will finally transform accessibility from a voluntary measure into a central quality and legal standard in the digital space.

Hanseatic Bank – a bank that makes accessibility a factor for success

When Hanseatic Bank commissioned us to optimize its website, the site was already technically sound and had very good visibility (SEO). However, it had shortcomings in terms of accessibility.

The measures

adesso comprehensively reviewed and optimized the website. The focus was on the following key areas:

• WCAG 2.1 AA compliance – as the basis for a holistically accessible website (in accordance with legal requirements)
• Contrast ratios – text and design elements were adjusted to the recommended contrast values to remain legible even in difficult lighting conditions, for users with visual impairments, or on mobile devices.
• Keyboard navigation – for users without a mouse or with assistive technologies
• Form optimization – clear labels, correct semantics, and logical tab sequences
• Page structures – headings, paragraphs, and content blocks were semantically optimized and logically structured so that users can quickly find their way around and search engines can optimally capture the content.

The project was implemented in an agile manner: an analysis phase was followed by iterative adjustments, tests, and a controlled rollout. The process was both on time and on budget. After just a few weeks, it became apparent that search engine crawlers were indexing the pages better and the visibility of search results was increasing.

The result: 70 percent increase in visibility in just 6 months

After completion of the project, Hanseatic Bank saw a more than 70 percent increase in visibility on Google. The implementation of accessibility measures made a valuable contribution to this positive development. The combination of technical optimization and improved user experience led to the bank appearing much more frequently in organic search results and reaching new target groups.

Key benefits for the bank:

• Significantly better findability in search engines
• Longer dwell time and interaction on the website
• Improved brand perception
• Sustainable strengthening of SEO performance

Why accessibility is the new SEO

Accessibility not only ensures inclusion—it is a tangible competitive advantage. Search engines prefer websites that are technically sound, clearly structured, and accessible to all users. This means that removing barriers automatically creates better conditions for crawling, indexing, and user signals such as dwell time or click-through rate.

For companies where trust, security, and user-friendliness are crucial, accessibility also acts as a brand message:

5 practical tips: How to increase your visibility through accessibility

• 1. Start with an accessibility audit: Identify the barriers that exist on your website – from color contrasts to form errors.
• 2. Optimize forms and navigation: Clear labels, logical sequences, and keyboard control are key factors.
• 3. Integrate accessibility into your SEO concept: Accessibility improves loading times, structure, and readability—all things that Google loves.
• 4. Test regularly with real users: Only genuine feedback shows how accessible your website really is.
• 5. See accessibility as part of your brand strategy: It increases visibility, trust, and differentiation, especially in competitive industries such as banking.

Measurable, sustainable, future-proof

Hanseatic Bank's experience shows that accessibility is not a cost factor, but an investment in visibility, reputation, and long-term success. Those who take digital accessibility seriously today not only strengthen their brand, but also secure a head start in search engine rankings. Ready to increase the visibility of your website?