More often than not, indexing a web page is associated with following savvy marketing and algorithm practices like SEO. However, one could argue that prioritizing accessibility is equally effective for indexing a web page.
In this piece, we’ll go over the basics of web page indexing along with its relationship to digital accessibility.
What is web page indexing?
When you enter a term or query into an internet search engine, the results of that query aren’t raw and unfiltered internet. They’re a ranked display of thousands of curated web pages related to your query. This collection of pages results from a process called “indexing.” Indexing is a process by which search engines collect web content they deem worthy of presenting to searchers.
Web indexes are databases created by search engines. Indexed content then goes through a subsequent ranking process that determines where it will appear in a search.
How does indexing work?
Search engines like Google index a page by crawling through it to decide its subject matter. Crawling is a process in which an engine uses software to comb through websites and web pages to find new content.
Following the crawling process, the engine assesses the web page's content quality. If the page meets the necessary criteria, it becomes part of the search engine’s index.
Indexing requirements
Not every webpage is guaranteed to capture a search engine’s attention. Popular engines, like Google, have specific criteria that pages and sites must follow to be included.
Web pages and websites that are successfully indexed meet certain search engine standards. Some of these standards concern the quality of the web page's content. For instance, search engines determine whether the content of a page provides new and pertinent information about its subject matter.
Other criteria involve how the site or page is laid out. This is based on how easily a search engine can crawl through it and assess its content. Sites or pages that have a complex layout are less likely to be indexed.
How well a site adheres to this indexing criteria is reflected in where it appears in a web search. Those that follow an engine’s index standards will end up on the first few pages of a search query. Those that don’t aren’t so lucky.
Indexing and accessibility
The criteria for proper page indexing may sound familiar. That’s because they bear a striking resemblance to digital accessibility standards. Like pages that get indexed, accessible web pages are navigable, well-formatted, and easy to comprehend.
Indexed pages and accessible pages are both designed and maintained in a way with the user in mind. They provide an experience that users of all ability levels can fully enjoy.
WCAG and Google’s indexing criteria
To demonstrate this correlation, let’s compare and contrast Google’s indexing criteria with the standards listed in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
On its developer's page, Google states that its indexing process factors the quality of a page’s content and layout. For Google, the quality of content refers to how easily understandable it is and if other features, like titles or headlines, provide adequate descriptions.
Quality of design refers to how easily Google can crawl through the page and assess its content for indexing.
These criteria are similar to the standards listed in the WCAG. For example, section 3 of the guidelines deals primarily with the understandability of web content. Web content should be legible, consistent, and free from mistakes. This resembles Google’s guidelines for developers to create “helpful, reliable, people-first content.”
The WCAG also places value on the quality of web design. Section 2 of the WCAG mandates that digital interfaces must be operable. Part of being operable is maintaining a navigable design.
Google also places value on page design. Their indexing guide emphasizes that an operable and well-designed webpage has a better chance of indexing and subsequent ranking.
Can indexing hinder accessibility?
Though infrequent, there are occasions when indexing a page can be detrimental to ensuring digital accessibility. The most common scenario for this involves individuals with photosensitive epilepsy.
Photosensitive epilepsy is a condition where certain kinds of digital content trigger seizures. Triggers can range from flashing lights to quickly contrasting colors. Even one second of exposure to this kind of content can trigger a seizure.
If a search engine indexes a page with potentially triggering content, that content can appear early in a web search. If a user with photosensitive epilepsy unknowingly opened that page, the results could be disastrous.
As such, developers need to consider the safety and accessibility of users above all else when designing a page. Luckily, there is a way to ensure that a web page doesn’t become indexed. We’ll go over those specific steps in a later article.
In closing
Web indexing serves as a reminder of the importance of web page accessibility. Accessible web pages are more likely to get indexed and are thus more likely to receive traffic. This correlation shows that accessibility can benefit both users and developers.
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