Google I am hiding my text!
I am getting tired of sweeping statements in the SEO world that I keep running into over and over that nobody even attempts to explain in detail or prove in the slightest.
In this article on 9 Ways To Get Banned by Search Engines point #3 claims that hidden text should not be used and can get you banned from the search engines. That’s it.
No mention of current use in the development world of hidden content in tabbed modules, skip links for accessibility or rollover effects that enhance the overall user experience. Yet there always seems to be the vague reference to the old dodgy ways that spammers used to hide text which was in fact spamming.
So is it just me? Is it so simple an idea that it doesn’t need to be proven and I am missing something? Or is it the SEO’s that actually keep trying to convince me that Google is so sophisticated nowadays that it will catch you hiding any text and ban you, but they themselves are not keeping up with current trends and legitimate uses of hidden text and the current online industry? It seems absurd to me to see that statement and just believe it because you all keep repeating it.
So I would like to put it out there to prove it to me if you can. At least make an attempt to back up what you say and let’s get past this issue and I will concede defeat.
Or how about this? Hidden text when used legitimately on your website will not get you banned from search engines. I don’t even have to prove it, this SEO game is easy.
Comments
- halans says: January 11, 2007 @ 6:40 am
In 2002, for our honeymoon in Australia (we’re from Belgium originally), I whipped up a travel journal in Dreamweaver. The mark-up is pretty bad, with inline styles and tables (sorry for that). It has a number of divs hidden using “visibility:hidden”, all occupying the same space, displayed when mousing over the map. Now if you look up “honeymoon down under”, that page is top of the list in the search results. And it has been consistently for +4 years now. Case proven?
- Standardzilla says: January 11, 2007 @ 8:35 am
@halans, thanks for the case study.
It seems obvious to us all doesn’t it? This is a legitimate use of hiding text and my point here is to distinguish this use of css display: none; from the old-school spamming methodologies.
Even when the people to educate are not code-savvy, you can still communicate this. I just think the SEO industry is a bit narrow-focussed.
- Rimian Perkins says: January 11, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
I would agree that SEO is full of the same old crap repeated over and over. There are also a whole bunch of tricks that are rarely mentioned!
But (In my opinion) the article you referenced is correct. The evidence you require is in the Terms of Use policy on Google’s site. You may not alter the results of google for commercial benefit. And hiding text is often a clear cut attempt at manipulating Search Engine results.
Whether or not they catch you is another story.
Lycos were reported to be running algorhythms that detected this in the Nineties. Google spend a serious amount of effort maintaining the integrity of their search results. Their quality reflects this.
There are problems disproving your claim. Firstly: Google might take up to 3 months to catch up with you (I speak from experience). They will not give you a reason why they boot you from their search results and the delay in cause and effect will make it hard to pinpoint what the problem was. Secondly: anyone who wants to dispute this claim must be prepared to risk having their site banned from google. So anyone who is experienced in SEO probably won’t take you up. So your claim may never be truly tested.
Overall I think this is a good article. I am also tired of the same old crap repeated over and over and do make attempts to disprove some of the myths on a regular basis.
- Standardzilla says: January 11, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
@Rimian - I do agree that my statement is sweeping as well :-)
I would love to get this industry a bit more aware of the consequences of there actions and/or statements. How to prove things in an industry with so many variables as SEO is another challenge indeed.
- radszter says: January 11, 2007 @ 2:16 pm
Good SEO isn’t about tricks. That is the whole point!
So in this case, it’s not whether or not to use visibility:hidden or display:none, but how you use it. Using it to improve your visitor’s experience = right reason. Using something in a website solely to improve search engine rankings = always the wrong reason.
Correct use of css to improve accessibility and user experience will never get you into trouble with search engines. But slapping in a whole wad of keyword stuffed text will get their red lights flashing. Guess Google IS now smart enough to know the difference ;-)So for those who do… Don’t be surprised if they catch up with you. Even if it takes 3 months… (which I doubt). And I always find it funny to read their sulky 4-year-old ramblings, wondering: “Why oh why have I been banned… . Why won’t they tell me… .”
I like to take a step back, and try to focus on the big picture:
1) What do search engines want?
To offer the most relevant search results to their users for any particular search phrase.2) What do search engine users want?
To find the most relevant information in the search results so they can complete the actions they have set out to do.3) What does my SEO client want?
To increase quality traffic, conversions, customer base and revenues.
Whether the site’s main focus is on lead generation, e-commerce… or even branding.
The client is usually in it for the long run…4) And … what do I, as SEO want?
To secure my “bread and butter”, long term, by ensuring my client is satisfied with the results and continue to monitor and improve, where possible.Personally I believe that when you get number 2 right, the rest will also fall into place. Taking into account usability, accessibility and web standards is a good way to start. Good keyword research, good site-structure, good content, good linking and good webstat analysis… You know the routine.
- Max Design - standards based web design, development and training » Our chance to ask Google says: February 3, 2007 @ 8:32 am
[...] Here are some questions that Scott Gledhill and I’d like to ask: [...]
- Max Design - standards based web design, development and training » Our chance to ask Google says: February 5, 2007 @ 2:36 pm
[...] are some questions that Scott Gledhill and I’d like to [...]
- Hobo SEO says: May 26, 2007 @ 10:16 am
I think it is safe to say Google doesn’t ban you for an odd bit of hidden text, but there’s a good bet it might not follow links in that hidden text.
But apart from skip links - why would you want to hide keyword rich text any way?
In terms of seo it’s just lazy.
- Standardzilla says: May 26, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
@Hobo - very lazy, but I still get people asking me if we can hide text “white on white” in the page somewhere. Amazing :-)
