Google Allows Some Cases of Hiding Text with CSS

Jun 11, 2007 - 8:37 am 6 by

A Google Groups thread asks if it is acceptable in accordance with Google's new webmaster guidelines on Hidden text and links to use CSS as an image replacement technique for graphic links.

Image a site that has images for their navigational links. Now, if you turn CSS off, you will see a new version of the navigation, using standard text version of the links.

Susan Moskwa, one of Google's new Webmaster Central Google Groups support people, said it is acceptable, based on intent.

If your intent is purely to improve the visual user experience (e.g. by replacing some text with a fancier image of that same text), you don't need to worry.

However, if your intent is "to deceive the search engines, we frown on that," said Susan Moskwa. She explained that she spoke with Matt Cutts on this, I guess all new Googlers run some of these questions by Matt, and added, "Matt did say that hiding text moves you a step further towards the gray area."

So if you are hiding text even for non-evil purposes, it does move you closer to the "gray area."

Forum discussion at Google Groups.

 

Popular Categories

The Pulse of the search community

Search Video Recaps

 
- YouTube
Video Details More Videos Subscribe to Videos

Most Recent Articles

Search Forum Recap

Daily Search Forum Recap: April 21, 2025

Apr 21, 2025 - 10:00 am
Google

Google Drops Event Rich Results Carousel On Desktop Search: Bug?

Apr 21, 2025 - 7:51 am
Google

Google Live Demo Of Android AR Glasses

Apr 21, 2025 - 7:41 am
Search News

IAB/PWC: U.S Search Ad Revenue Grew 15.9% With $102.9 Billion In 2024

Apr 21, 2025 - 7:31 am
Bing SEO

Bing Webmaster Tools Working To Streamline Email Notifications

Apr 21, 2025 - 7:21 am
Bing Search

Microsoft Launches Copilot Merchant Program

Apr 21, 2025 - 7:11 am
Previous Story: Yahoo! Service Engineer Blasts Yahoo! Publisher Network