Hidden text
Hidden text is a black hat SEO technique that involves placing text or links on a page that search engines can read but people cannot see, in an attempt to manipulate rankings
What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.
What it is and how it works
The classic methods were writing in the same colour as the background, using a tiny font size or hiding text behind images. Later, CSS was used to position it off-screen or make it fully transparent. Google includes it in its spam policies and may apply manual actions.
Not all hidden content is deceptive: tabs, accordions, drop-down menus, image alt text and text intended for screen readers are legitimate design and accessibility practices. The difference lies in the intent and in whether the content is available and useful to people.
Also known as
Hidden text and links, Invisible text
Topics