What exactly this criterion covers
This is typically the kind of detail that prevents conflicting signals.
**L20 — ARIA landmarks** (Chapter 12 - UX & Accessibility): role=main, role=navigation, role=banner for structure
L20 — Chapter 12 - UX & Accessibilité
Criterion L20 : ARIA landmarks — guide + checklist
This is typically the kind of detail that prevents conflicting signals.
The **L20 — ARIA landmarks** criterion is part of our SEO checklist (335 criteria). Here, you have a **practical** method to check and fix it — with a concrete example.
Why it matters (SEO + UX)
Why it matters: it is a UX point that eventually translates into SEO. When poorly applied, we often observe: ambiguity (wrong associated query), duplication between pages, or performance loss on bounce rate.
On high-volume generated sites, this criterion also acts as a **safeguard**: a stable rule prevents 1,000 errors at once.
How to check (step by step)
Approach: express audit (manual + 1 tool). Recommended tool: **Hotjar/Clarity (if available)**.
- Open the page in Chrome → DevTools → Performance/Network tab.
- Run Lighthouse and note the main weakness.
- Check if the problem repeats on mass-generated pages.
Tip: first isolate 10 “representative” URLs (top pages + generated pages) before scaling the fix.
How to fix properly
Strategy: fix + add a safeguard for mass import.
- Simplify the mobile journey (visible menu/CTA, no aggressive popups).
- Fix instabilities (CLS) and interactivity (INP) if affected.
- Test on 2–3 screen sizes and re-measure.
Then: re-crawl 50–200 URLs, then monitor Search Console for 7–14 days (impressions/CTR/indexing).
Concrete example (illustrative)
Example (illustrative):
- **Context**: blog article for web agency in Lyon
- **Before**: Confusing mobile menu + hidden CTA + visible CLS.
- **After**: Simplified navigation + visible CTA + visual stability.
- **Note**: Goal: readability + engagement (which indirectly helps SEO).
Checklist to tick
- [ ] Mobile first
- [ ] Respects: role=navigation
- [ ] Visible CTA
- [ ] No major friction
- [ ] Visual stability OK
FAQ
Frequently asked questions — L20
What is the most common mistake on “ARIA landmarks”?
Fixing an isolated page without fixing the template/import: the error returns on the next generation.
Which tool is fastest for large-scale checking?
For this type of criterion, a crawl (e.g., Screaming Frog) plus targeted verification in Hotjar/Clarity (if available) is generally the fastest combo.
How to prevent recurrence on 10K generated pages?
Freeze an auto-generation rule (title/structure/schema/URLs) plus add automatic control (crawl or test) before production import.
Ready to go from theory to action?
Validate this criterion with an audit, then deepen the method in the Academy.