Before Approving a Sponsored Article: A Practical Accessibility Review
A checklist for finding barriers in sponsored articles, assigning responsibilities, and reviewing accessibility without confusing it with SEO or commercial transparency.
Why Include Accessibility in the Editorial Review
A sponsored article should be understandable and usable by people with different ways of perceiving, navigating, and interacting with a page. Reviewing its accessibility helps identify barriers that may make it harder to read, understand, or use its links and resources. It is not a guarantee of rankings, traffic, or SEO results: it is part of editorial quality and the reading experience. Review both the content provided by the brand and the page where it will be published. Well-prepared text can still appear in a template that makes keyboard navigation difficult, for example. An editorial review identifies problems and makes it possible to assign them; it does not replace a full site evaluation or, where appropriate, specialist advice.
- Include accessibility in the review workflow from the first draft, not just as a last-minute check.
- Assess the content, resources, and published page: these areas are related, but they are not always managed by the same team.
- Record the barriers found and who is responsible for resolving them.
Review the Structure: Titles, Headings, and Reading Order
Check that the title describes the content and that the headings represent a logical hierarchy. A heading should not be chosen only for its size or appearance: the publication should mark it with the appropriate semantic level. In general, main sections should be distinct from subsections, and levels should not be skipped without a reason. The organization should make it possible to understand the article’s structure even when navigating from heading to heading. Also read the content in the order in which it is presented. If there are callouts, quotes, notes, or embedded elements, check that they do not interrupt the thread or hide essential information. The editorial team can usually correct the text and hierarchy; the publication should check how its content management system and template turn them into an actual page.
- Use descriptive headings that give readers an idea of each section’s content.
- Check that the hierarchy reflects the structure and is not used only for visual formatting.
- Review the reading order of introductions, callouts, notes, and calls to action.
Check Links and Calls to Action
Link text should give readers clues about its destination or purpose. Isolated phrases such as “click here” or “learn more” can be unclear when read out of context, especially if repeated. It is better to describe the destination or action concisely. If a link leads to a form, a listing, or a specific resource, its text should indicate that. Also test keyboard navigation. Users should be able to reach links and controls, move through them in an understandable order, and visually identify which element has focus. If a call to action depends on a button or template component, the publication should check that it works; the brand can revise the text it proposes.
- Read the links in sequence, without the surrounding paragraph, and check whether they still make sense.
- Avoid using the same label for different destinations unless the context clearly distinguishes them.
- Use a keyboard to check access, navigation order, and focus visibility for controls.
Evaluate Images, Graphics, and Visual Resources
Every image needs an editorial decision about its text alternative. If it conveys information, the alt text should communicate that information briefly and appropriately in the context of the article. There is no need to describe every visual detail or repeat in the alt text what the surrounding text already explains. If an image is decorative and adds no content, it should be treated as such so it does not create noise for people using assistive technologies. For charts, diagrams, and infographics, a generic phrase is usually not enough. Provide the important data or conclusions in the article text, or include an equivalent accessible alternative. If text appears inside an image, check that essential information is also available as selectable, readable text.
- Consider what information each image conveys and decide whether it needs a text alternative or is decorative.
- Avoid meaningless alt text, file names, keyword stuffing, or unnecessarily long descriptions.
- Accompany complex graphics with a text explanation of their relevant data or conclusions.
Review Audio and Video
If the article includes video with dialogue or relevant audio information, check that it has accurate, synchronized captions. They should include speech and, when necessary to understand the scene, significant sounds. Automatic captions can serve as a draft, but names, terms, and punctuation should be reviewed. A transcript can help readers consult the content and should also represent relevant information that is not expressed in words. For audio without video, provide an appropriate transcript. Also review the controls: they should have understandable labels and be usable with a keyboard. If the content is embedded from a third party, the publication may need to resolve integration issues, even when the brand is responsible for providing accessible files and text.
- Check the synchronization, accuracy, and readability of captions.
- Include a transcript when the format calls for one and make sure it covers essential information.
- Test playback controls with a keyboard and check that their purpose is understandable.
Coordinate Responsibilities Between the Brand and the Publication
The brand and the publication usually control different parts of the experience. Agreeing on responsibilities before the article is delivered helps prevent problems from being left unresolved. The brand can review the accuracy of the content, provide proposed alt text, deliver captioned videos, and write clear calls to action. The publication controls the layout, the actual heading hierarchy, template behavior, and the integration of external resources. The specific allocation depends on the agreement and on who can modify each element. If one party does not have access to the template, it does not make sense to ask them to fix site components. Instead, they should document the problem and refer it to someone who can act on it. A simple table with the element, issue, person responsible, and status helps track progress without assuming that one party controls the whole page.
- Brand: review the text and provide resources and text alternatives with sufficient context.
- Publication: check the implemented structure, template, controls, and page navigation.
- Both parties: agree on who validates the fixes and who reviews the published result.
Use a Pre-Publication Checklist and Review the Result
The most useful review combines editorial reading with simple usability tests. Before publication, work through the checklist below and assign each issue to someone who can fix it. Then open the published URL and check that the layout has not altered headings, links, alternatives, or controls. Manual checks help uncover practical problems, but they do not, by themselves, certify that a page meets all accessibility requirements.
- Title and headings: describe the content and maintain a logical hierarchy.
- Reading and navigation: the order makes sense, and links and controls are reachable with a keyboard.
- Links: their labels indicate the destination or purpose, including when read in isolation.
- Images and graphics: have an appropriate text alternative, or equivalent information is available elsewhere.
- Audio and video: have captions or a transcript where appropriate, and usable controls.
- Responsibilities: each fix has an assigned person or team and a tracking status.
- Publication: review the final URL on the live page and fix problems introduced by the template.
Frequently asked questions
Does accessibility in a sponsored article improve its rankings?+
Accessibility makes it easier for more people to perceive, understand, and use the content, but it does not guarantee better rankings, traffic, or SEO results. It is best treated as part of quality and the user experience, not as a promise of better rankings.
Who should fix accessibility problems?+
It depends on who controls each element. The brand can revise the content and provide accessible resources; the publication usually controls the template, layout, and navigation components. The recommended approach is to assign each issue to someone who can resolve it and review the published result.
Should alt text include keywords?+
A keyword should not be added automatically. Alt text should communicate the image’s relevant information in context. If the image is decorative, it does not need a description that could be distracting.
Does the sponsored label replace an indication that the article is sponsored?+
No. Commercial transparency should be clear to people reading the article. Link attributes and an editorial disclosure serve different purposes.
When are the sponsored or nofollow attributes used?+
Google recommends rel="sponsored" to identify links that are part of advertising or sponsorships. rel="nofollow" may also be appropriate, depending on the case. The choice depends on the nature of the link; these attributes do not replace transparency about sponsored content or guarantee SEO results.
Sources and references
- Google Search Essentials — Google Search Central
- Spam policies for Google web search — Google Search Central
- Qualify outbound links — Google Search Central