Web Accessibility and SEO Course: A Site Everyone Can Use and Find
Accessibility and SEO is an intermediate-level course of 6 lessons (about 3 h 16 min), with 18 exercises and 18 quiz questions. Prerequisites: Responsive Layout (Flexbox, Grid). Exercises run in the browser, with nothing to install.
- Front-end
- Intermediate
- 6 lessons
- 3 h 16 min
- 18 exercises
- Exercises run in the browser
The course in brief
This course shows how a single foundation, well-structured HTML, serves both accessibility and search engine optimization. You will learn to apply the essential WCAG and RGAA criteria (structure, images, forms, keyboard, ARIA), to optimize on-page SEO (title, meta, canonical, Open Graph, structured data) and to improve Core Web Vitals. You will finish with a complete audit combining Lighthouse and manual tests.
What you will be able to do
- Structure a page with semantic elements, landmarks and a consistent heading hierarchy
- Write text alternatives and accessible forms, and check contrast
- Ensure keyboard navigation and use ARIA appropriately
- Optimize title, meta description, canonical, robots, sitemap and Open Graph
- Write and validate JSON-LD structured data with schema.org
- Measure and improve Core Web Vitals, and run a Lighthouse audit complemented by manual tests
Syllabus: 6 lessons
- Explain what digital accessibility and search engine optimization are, and what they have in common
- Structure a page with landmark elements and a consistent heading hierarchy
- Choose the right native HTML element (button, link, list)
Principles and framework (WCAG, RGAA)Semantic HTML and landmarksHeading hierarchy
- 02
Images, Forms and Contrast
- Write relevant text alternatives
- Make a form accessible: labels, help text, errors
- Check contrast and avoid conveying information with color alone
- 03
Keyboard, Focus and ARIA
- Ensure full keyboard navigation with a visible focus
- Add a skip link and manage focus in dynamic components
- Use ARIA appropriately (states, names, live regions)
- 04
On-Page SEO: Title, Meta, URLs and Indexing
- Write an effective title and meta description
- Master indexing: canonical, robots, robots.txt, sitemap
- Prepare sharing on social networks with Open Graph
- 05
Structured Data with JSON-LD
- Explain the role of structured data and the schema.org vocabulary
- Write a JSON-LD block for a local business, a product or a breadcrumb
- Validate structured data and follow search engines' rules
- 06
Performance, Core Web Vitals and Lighthouse Audit
- Explain the Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS) and their thresholds
- Apply common optimizations (images, loading, fonts, JavaScript)
- Run an audit with Lighthouse and complement it with manual accessibility tests
Core Web VitalsPerformance optimizationLighthouse audit and manual tests
Final project
Audit and Remediation of a Showcase Site
Take an existing showcase site (your own, an association's or a provided template) and run a complete accessibility and SEO audit, then fix one template page. The audit combines Lighthouse, code inspection and manual keyboard and screen reader tests. The fixed page must reach the "good" Core Web Vitals thresholds in the lab, meet the WCAG AA criteria covered, and have complete meta tags, Open Graph and structured data.
Deliverables
- A before/after audit report: Lighthouse scores, problems ranked by severity and the relevant WCAG criterion or SEO rule
- The fixed page (HTML and CSS) with semantic structure and accessible forms and keyboard navigation
- The complete head: title, meta description, canonical, Open Graph
- A validated JSON-LD block (LocalBusiness or Organization, and BreadcrumbList if relevant)
- A robots.txt file and a sitemap.xml
- A completed manual test grid (keyboard, screen reader, 200% zoom)
Assessment criteria
- Correct semantic structure and heading hierarchy
- Text alternatives, forms and contrast compliant with level AA
- Full keyboard journey with visible focus
- Unique, relevant meta tags and controlled indexing
- Valid structured data consistent with the page
- Measured improvement of Core Web Vitals in the lab
- Quality and honesty of the report (limits of the automated audit mentioned)
Frequently asked questions
Why learn accessibility and SEO in the same course?
Because they rest on the same foundation: semantic, well-structured HTML. Screen readers and search engine bots both read the code rather than the visual rendering. An accessible page is generally better understood by search engines.
Is accessibility mandatory for my website?
In France, it is mandatory for public services and large companies (RGAA). Since June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act extends it to many digital services, including online commerce, with an exemption for service micro-enterprises. Even without an obligation, it widens your audience.
Is a good Lighthouse score enough?
No. Lighthouse is an excellent diagnostic tool, but automated tests only detect part of the accessibility problems, and ranking is based on field data from real visitors. The course teaches you to complement the audit with manual tests.
What are the prerequisites for this course?
You need the basics of HTML and CSS. A few JavaScript concepts help with interactive components (menu, modal) but remain accessible.
This course, told for your job
Say what you want to be able to do: “Accessibility and SEO” takes its place in your path, with examples from your field. The concepts stay those of the course.