Govt sites 'looking to improve SEO, accessibility'

2nd September 2008

Search engine optimisation (SEO) and website accessibility are among the areas the government is focusing on when it comes to improving its online services, minister for transformational government Tom Watson has said.

The minister and blogger told .net magazine that he believed government websites offer much to taxpayers, highlighting the sheer number of transactions made via public sector sites.

He said that a quarter of a million people buy tax discs online every week alone.

Mr Watson also expressed a desire to see government officials make better use of the popularity of social media to help deliver better services to UK citizens.

"We've also got to optimise our sites for search and make sure our content is relevant and up to the minute," he commented.

"A lot of work is also being done to sort out accessibility."

Earlier this year, Mr Watson told the Tower 08 conference that he thought public sector websites should do more to take advantage of user-generated content, the Register reports.