Measuring What Matters - Accessibility and Website Carbon - brightonSEO October 2025

Transcript

2. A truly is optimal for search engine and AI crawling, accessible for everyone, and sustainable for the planet. good website Introducing The “Triple Win” @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
3. It’s time to start for and measuring and optimising people the planet Measuring what matters, for performance, and more @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
4. And by doing this, can improve too performance Measuring what matters, for performance, and more @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
5. Auditing & optimising for a low- carbon, accessible website is The "Triple Win" of Great development and optimisation Better for the Planet Reduced Emissions Better for People Inclusive Experiences Better for your Business Improved Performance @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
6. Some background, changing crawling landscape Crawling is hard, costs money, and uses resources, and new players (AI crawlers) have emerged, who might be a lot less forgiving than Google.
7. In the past Low competition and forgiving AI & Efficiency Increase in crawlers and data collection And There is a Changing World For Crawling and indexing Modern era Need for lightweight and structure @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
8. The old, forgiving crawling and indexing era is coming to an end, and efficiency is now key for visibility with Google and AI. the Crawling & Indexing Problem We’re F acing @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
9. There are roughly Crawling is a Big challenge 200 million active websites 1. 1-1.2 billion total websites 250,000 new sites every day @brigHtonSEO https://www .linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
10. If we now look at pages Crawling is a Big challenge 4.57 billion web pages (Tilburg University) But... the actual number could be more than 50 billion pages. @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
11. Optimising your website is not just about today's SERPs; it's about securing a position as for the of now and the future. a trusted source AI-driven information ecosystem The AI-Powered Future Need Efficiency @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
12. How do we win? strongest foundations Not with new tricks, but with the How can we adapt our approach? @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
13. Low Website Carbon sites are* lightweight with good UX Uncompressed images, redundant scripts, and inaccessible code are liabilities that make a website inefficient, produce more carbon, and are harder to crawl.
14. Data centers Networks Devices The internet consumes a lot of energy (est ~4%) Do websites have a significant impact? @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
15. The main principle for website contribution is simple: And by correctly optimising for lower website carbon and Impact, your site should have a better user experiences and performance. Simplified Website Carbon Calculation More Data Transfer = More Energy Used = More Carbon. @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
16. Higher Page Weight Every uncompressed image, redundant script, or unused line of CSS contributes to weight -> Slower load times -> Slower interactivity -> Leading to bad UX "Digital Waste" is a measurable performance liability. @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
17. A high carbon score is a direct indicator of technical debt that harms both the environment and ranking potential. Therefore, "CO2e" is a powerful metric for sustainability. which is a factor for technical efficiency "Digital Waste" is a measurable performance liability. @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
18. We need to measure and optimise everything that contributes to inefficiency Lots of Factors Influencing Website Carbon @brigHtonSEO
19. Accessible websites are* well coded and structured A foundation for a well-structured site that is easy for all users, and bots, to understand.
20. Measuring and optimising of every page helps move towards a better structured and coded site. Accessibility Measuring Accessibility - Inclusivity as Impact @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
21. And failing to be means ignoring one of the accessible world's largest markets. Are You Ignoring 1.3 Billion Customers? @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
22. Good, accessible, website design & development is good in so many ways Site-Wide Accessibility: Ethical, Practical, and Beneficial for User Experience Has structure and good coding practices, improving overall quality Meet legal requirements including EAA & ADA Wider audience reach (up by 1.85 billion people) Accessibility best practices enhance everyone's experience @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
23. What are the business benefits? Are there other benefits?
24. We need to optimise for a better future Environmental Responsibility Your contribution to a sustainable future. @brigHtonSEO
25. From Greenwashing to Genuine Goodwill Brand Reputation Sustainability & Accessibility is valued by customers. @brigHtonSEO
26. Efficiency Isn't a Goal, It's a Byproduct Efficiency & Performance Optimising for website carbon and accessibility often improves site speed and structure @brigHtonSEO
27. Get Ahead of Tomorrow's Regulations Legal Regulations Align with growing global sustainability and accessibility requirements (EAA & ADA) and user demands. @brigtonSEO
28. Why Sustainability & Accessibility is a Key Impact Metric Better Brand Experience Can align with faster and better user and therefore brand experiences. @brigHtonSEO
29. Where do we start optimising for carbon & accessibility? What are the benefits of optimising for Website Carbon & Accessibility
30. A lightweight, fast website, with great UX How do you get ahead - optimising for a low carbon site @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
31. Is a site low carbon How do you get ahead - optimising for a low carbon site @brigHtonSEO https://www .linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
32. A website that is structured, well coded, semantically rich & easy for crawlers to understand is How do you get ahead - optimising for an Accessible website @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
33. Is an site accessible How do you get ahead - optimising for an Accessible website @brigHtonSEO https://www .linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
34. So where should you start? Accessibility or structure/code Low carbon or lightweight/UX Where should we start? @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
35. @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
36. What can we do? Can we measure more, optimise better, and deliver more performance?
37. More data transfer and CPU use requires more energy and produces more carbon Audit every page for website carbon it’s a measure for and technical debt, good development Sustainability is also Technical Efficiency @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
38. Audit every page for accessibility it’s an indication of a site, which is easier to crawl, index, and understand contributing to . technically sound, well- structured better visibility Accessibility, For Everyone and For Crawlability @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
39. Optimization Tactic Carbon Reduction Performance/CWW Accessibility & SEO Compress images & use WebP, add alt Lower data transfer Faster LCP Alt text provides context for screen readers & image SEO. optimise/minify HTML, CSS & JS Smaller file sizes Faster parsing, reduces TBT Reduces render-blocking resources. Implement a CDN & Caching Reduces data travel Improves TTFB & LCP Faster, consistent experience for all users. Remove Unused Code Eliminates "digital waste" Improves LCP & INP Cleaner code, better crawl efficiency. Set explicit media dimensions N/A Near-zero CLS score Creates a stable, predictable interface. Use Semantic HTML Easier and more efficient to crawl More efficient parsing Essential for screen readers & on-page SEO. A single optimisation creates a cascade of benefits. The “triple win’ in action @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
40. There are tools to do this with @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
41. We needed to see the whole picture, website carbon, accessibility, and performance. The Solution: The Need for a Holistic View The Solution: The Need for a Holistic View The Solution: The Need for a Holistic View The Solution: The Need for a full, ongoing View @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
42. Does it actually improve performance? Have other businesses seen performance improvements from optimising for website carbon or accessibility
43. Work on Accessibility has been shown to directly correlate with increased performance Semrush & BuiltWith, “Website Accessibility and seo” Study 23% 27% 19% More visitors Tied to higher compliance More keywords ranked with accessibility improvements Boost in Authority Score for compliant sites https://www.semrush.com/news/420048-study-why-accessibility-matters-more-than-ever-for-seo-performance/ https://accessibe.com/blog/knowledgebase/web-accessibility-and-seo
44. 13 tonnes carbon saved of on just optimising the homepage with sustainable web design choices Carbon reduction from 15.2 tonnes to 2.3 tonnes a year Page weight decrease from 7.1Mb and 2.684g per page view to 1.06Mb and 0.399g https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/website-communications/a-case-study-of-the-homepage-13-tonnes-of- carbon-saved-through-sustainable-web-design-choices/ Case Study : University of EdinEdinburgh
45. Improvement in performance from optimising for lower carbon. Communitee optimisation work by HashMeta 73% reduction in page weight 62% less carbon per page view 43% increase in organic traffic 27% higher conversion rates https://hashmeta.com/blog/green-seo-reducing-digital-carbon-footprint-while-boosting-search-rankings/
46. Tesco RNIB teamed up with to make their online grocery shopping better for people with disabilities. Online sales went up by 350% More customers were happy with the site People with disabilities found the site easier to use https://daily.dev/blog/10-accessibility-success-stories-and-case-studies Tesco Accessibility improvements (working with RNIB)
47. How can we embrace the “triple win” approach?
48. Implement strategic impact measurement and optimisation of every page of your website. The Shift to new measures and processes @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
49. By reviewing Site-wide web page quality through, sustainability, accessibility, performance, and user experiences Focus On a comprehensive approach to website quality @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
50. Expand auditing to review website quality across three pillars: The "Triple Win" Thesis The "Triple Win" Thesis Carbon Audit Measure CO_2e per page view and identify data reduction strategies. Accessibility Evaluate against the WCAG 2.1 AA standard with automated and manual testing. Technical Performance In-depth analysis of Core Web Vitals and other performance metrics. @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/
51. A truly is optimal for performance, inclusive for everyone, and sustainable for the planet. good website The “Triple Win” @brigHtonSEO https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuarttofts/