In 2025, building a website isn’t just about making it look stunning—it’s about making it accessible to everyone, discoverable by search engines, and legally sound. For business owners and marketers alike, two terms are becoming more important than ever: ADA compliance and alt text.
At Tech Wishes, we help brands create future-proof digital experiences that balance creativity, functionality, and visibility. In this blog, we’ll explore why ADA compliance and alt text aren’t just ethical best practices, but also SEO essentials that can directly impact your site’s performance.
What Is ADA Compliance in Web Design?
ADA stands for the Americans with Disabilities Act, a U.S. law that ensures equal access to digital properties for people with disabilities. Though it’s an American law, many global businesses comply to avoid accessibility lawsuits, especially if they cater to a U.S. audience.
In the context of websites, ADA compliance refers to ensuring your site is:
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- Navigable via screen readers
- Keyboard-accessible
- Visually interpretable (for those with colour blindness or visual impairments)
- Able to support captions and transcripts for media content
Why It Matters: Non-compliance can lead to lawsuits, loss of reputation, and excluded audiences—particularly people who rely on assistive tech.
What Is Alt Text and Why Is It Important?
Alt text, or alternative text, is a brief textual description of an image added to HTML code. Originally, it was designed to help screen readers describe images to visually impaired users. Today, it plays a dual role:
- Improves Accessibility- Alt text makes the web inclusive by describing visuals to users who can’t see them.
- Boosts SEO- Search engines like Google can’t “see” images, but they can read alt text. Descriptive, keyword-optimised alt text helps improve image search rankings and contributes to overall on-page SEO.
How Does Alt Text Influence Search Engine Rankings?
Here’s how alt text works to boost your SEO:
- Keyword Inclusion: If used wisely, alt text can reinforce a page’s keyword relevance. For instance, instead of “image1”, write “eco-friendly brass cutlery set”.
- Image Search Visibility: With Google Images generating billions of searches monthly, descriptive alt text can help your visuals appear in relevant queries.
- Faster Indexing: Alt text helps search engines understand your content better, speeding up indexing and improving ranking potential.
SEO Tip from Tech Wishes: Never stuff keywords unnaturally. Alt text should be descriptive, concise, and relevant.
What Happens If You Ignore ADA Compliance?
Ignoring ADA compliance can impact your business in multiple ways:
1. Loss of Website Traffic
Around 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability. If your site isn’t accessible, you’re leaving money on the table.
2. Higher Bounce Rates
Users who can’t navigate your site properly due to poor design or missing alt text are likely to leave quickly—this increases your bounce rate, which negatively impacts SEO.
3. Legal Risks
More and more businesses are being sued for inaccessible websites. Complying with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) not only protects you legally but positions your brand as responsible and inclusive.
What Are the SEO Benefits of ADA Compliance?
ADA-compliant websites are:
- Structured (using proper headings, lists, and landmarks)
- Optimised for mobile and screen readers
- Content-rich and keyword-balanced
All of which are best practices for technical SEO, too.
So when you improve accessibility, you’re also:
- Enhancing site architecture
- Reducing crawl errors
- Making your content clearer for both users and search engines
It’s a win-win.
How Tech Wishes Helps You Optimise for SEO and Accessibility
At Tech Wishes, we integrate accessibility and search performance from Day 1. Here’s what we offer:
Alt Text Optimisation- We manually review and craft SEO-friendly alt text for all product, banner, and blog images.
ADA-Friendly Website Design- From colour contrast adjustments to keyboard navigation and readable fonts, we ensure your site meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Technical SEO Audits- We identify missing alt attributes, improper heading structures, and non-compliant elements and fix them.
Ongoing SEO Maintenance- We continuously optimise both new and existing content to ensure SEO and accessibility stay aligned with search engine updates.
Why Should Shopify & WordPress Store Owners Care?
Whether you’re selling artisanal crafts or high-end electronics, online shoppers care about experience. If someone can’t navigate your site or understand your product imagery due to missing alt text, they won’t buy.
Also, Shopify and WordPress both support easy implementation of alt text and accessibility features. If you’re unsure how to implement it, our SEO experts at Tech Wishes can help you get it right.
Final Takeaways
ADA compliance and alt text are no longer optional—they’re essential. For businesses operating in 2025, especially those on platforms like Shopify, WordPress, or Wix, ensuring accessibility and visual clarity can significantly improve:
- Search engine rankings
- User trust and loyalty
- Conversion rates
- Brand reputation
And that’s where Tech Wishes comes in—to build, optimise, and future-proof your digital presence.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the ideal length of alt text?
Keep it under 125 characters. Be descriptive but concise. - How do I check if my site is ADA-compliant?
You can use tools like WAVE, Lighthouse, or contact Tech Wishes for a full ADA + SEO audit. - Can ADA compliance improve my mobile SEO too?
Absolutely. Accessibility overlaps with mobile-friendliness, which is a major ranking factor in Google’s algorithm. - Is ADA compliance mandatory in India?
While India has its accessibility regulations under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, global best practices (like WCAG) are becoming increasingly important, especially for global-facing brands.
Ready to make your website both accessible and visible?
Let’s chat. Book your free SEO + Accessibility audit with Tech Wishes today.
