Hidden Text: Smartest Way to Use for SEO
Hidden text is content visible to computers and search engines. But the text should be hidden from the visitors of a website. It is textual content that search engines can only read.
This invisible text lurks in the background. You will find it in the website structure or design, and it can both negatively or positively impact your SEO.
1.
What is Hidden Text?
It is essential to know that search engines include and analyze hidden text. You can use it to optimize a website and rank higher in search results for several reasons.
Note that using such text can improve the ranking of your web page. Some say the technique is against the guidelines of search engines, but there are also ways of using it by following prepared guidelines.
However, it is essential to note that the method and intention behind its inclusion are crucial.
1 At its best, hidden text can aid the customer experience and, at the same time, boost your SEO or Search Engine Optimization in a direct way.
2 At its worst, hidden text can manipulate search engine algorithms. It can cause your website to rank higher than it deserves. You can use hidden text to repeat the main keyword several times. Only to avoid the keyword stuffing issue.
How to add hidden text to your website
There are several ways you can add hidden text to a website. However, the following are the most common when it comes to deceptive techniques:
1 Match the color of the text with the background color. Meaning using white text on white background.
2 Use a text font size of zero.
3 Using CSS, you can try to position text beyond screen limits.
4 Posting text specifically for crawlers – especially with the use of the tag “display:none”.
5 You also need to link to a simple character, such as a hyphen in a long sentence.
2.
Importance of Using Hidden Text
Many of you may ask if using hidden content for SEO is essential. Note that search engines use hidden content for SEO.
Search engines recognize that there are situations where hidden text may actually be warranted for various reasons.
Did you know that hidden text can contribute to your SEO in direct and indirect ways? Below are a few examples.
1 It increases the website usability
The primary way hidden content can enhance your SEO is by increasing your website’s usability to visitors. Thus leading to higher user engagement. It is only that engagement that gets you noticed by search engines. Meaning it helps to move you up in the rankings.
It is important to note that hidden content, done the right way, can make your website less cluttered. At the same time, it can allow visitors to easily navigate throughout, giving them a better overall experience.
2 It deals with the limited screen space on mobile devices
Another reason why using hidden content for SEO is important is. The reason is that it helps increase the use of mobile devices to search the web and read web pages. Due to the small screen of the mobile, you will need to find ways to include all the info your visitor to your site needs and make it easy for them to find.
Because of these above-mentioned reasons, hidden text techniques can become essential when you design your mobile webpage. Examples include using drop-down boxes and menu tabs – both of which help improve navigation without cluttering up the screen.
In simple terms, knowing how and where to tuck in the text that users can easily access. This method will increase usability, thus improving the visitor experience. In the end, it will also increase indexing by search engines.
Talking about search engines, Google now implements mobile-first indexing. This feature includes new ranking methods, primarily with algorithms geared toward mobile device usage. With this, they also acknowledge certain hidden text techniques – which are acceptable and recommended.
A positive user experience will get your site noticed by search engine algorithms. So it is better to focus on increasing your user experience for both computer and mobile website visitors. In the process, it will heighten your SEO.
3.
Smart Ways of Using Hidden Text
You should know about some of the intelligent ways of using hidden text in your content to reap the benefits of SEO.
How do you use hidden text most smartly? There are several ways of doing so.
The use of hidden text is indeed often frowned upon and even penalized. However, there are non-deceptive and beneficial ways you can include such text to your advantage.
You should be aware that these are often referred to as white hat techniques and include the following:
1 Utilize alt-text for images
Search results often include a variety of images. But if you are not using image alt-text, you are missing out on a viable source of organic traffic.
Alt-text for images is generally considered hidden text as it describes the image. It also explains how it relates to surrounding content on a webpage. But, you provide more text for search engines to index. In addition, the exciting part is that the text will show up if the image fails to load correctly on the page.
2 Hide content behind a “read more” or “show more” button or link
It is an exciting trip. You can keep a portion of your text visible and hide the rest behind a “show more” or “read more” button or a link. At the same time, you can also use additional phrases such as “learn more” to entice your readers. It will h to bring up the rest of the text.
3 Use hidden content in drop-down boxes or with icons
When you enhance your web page for mobile users, you should create ways to provide info without including all the text in one view.
The best way to achieve this is by using hidden content in drop-down boxes and other navigation aids – like prominent icons for news announcements and press releases. As a result, you improve the user experience. In the end, search engine algorithms recognize your hidden text without penalty.
4 Utilize No-script tagging
Is it acceptable to duplicate certain content using the “noscript” tag, and you can also utilize JavaScript for uploading? Remember that the content must be identical, regardless of whether your browser has JavaScript enabled or disabled.
5 Feature FAQ accordions
Yes, it is indeed true that website visitors are big fans of FAQs. So you should always use this feature to use hidden content smartly.
Try to create your list of frequently asked questions and link each to the answering text. Otherwise, you also use FAQ accordions – design elements or visual cues to the reader where more text is available.
6 Add Pop-ups
If you use the pop-ups correctly, they can add to your overall SEO. All you need to do is ensure this hidden text technique includes content relating to your website’s services or products. It can also be linked to your overall brand or, in some way, improves the user experience.
However, it is equally important to know that if not done correctly, Google can penalize you for having what they call “intrusive interstitials”. So you should read and know the rules before using it.
4.
Hidden Text: Win Win For Users and SEO
As you see, because of Google’s algorithm, it can be imperative to use hidden text and image content. Today’s website visitor will likely use a mobile device to read most of the online content.
Therefore, you should squeeze more info into a tiny screen size in whatever way possible.
You will also agree that presenting content on a small screen is challenging. While at the same time making the web content easy to access. But you can do all this on the big screen. Hiding content within easily-clicked icons will make your web page look less cluttered. Thus making it a better user experience.
You will always want to create a site presenting a quality user experience. As you know, it is increasingly important for SEO because Google tends to show websites that are popular with users and that users specifically expect to see.
If you make your website less cluttered, it will contribute to making your site more popular. The benefit of SEO is that a publisher can add links to more content that your users cannot find, but search engines can find.
5.
Use SEO Friendly Hidden Content?
As you must be aware, Google is transitioning to a mobile-first index. In such a scenario, it is vital to employ strategies like hiding links inside the content in a Google-approved manner.
This tactic will help you more of your content get indexed.
Sometimes, website developers want to ensure optimal user experience. So to reap the benefits, you can opt for it. It is perhaps a more direct SEO benefit as hiding content will make it easier to squeeze more images and text onto your mobile size screen.
In simple terms, it will help to get as much content as possible indexed while presenting a flawless user experience to site visitors. When done correctly, Hidden content can maximize your content on a small mobile web page. Finally, helping to increase the amount of content that is indexed by search engines.
Conclusion
Finally, we see that hidden content is used correctly and can boost your SEO. Now that you know the secrets to utilizing hidden content in acceptable ways, use them judiciously. All this will help to benefit your SEO and avoid penalties.
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