Best way to hide text

[TheAdvertisingMan]

I'm currently doing a little experiment using hidden text and its effect on SERPs.

Does anybody here have a good experience with it? Or, better said, does somebody know the worst way how to NOT do it?

Any help is very appreciated, thanks

 

[nanavlad]

Google frowns on it
So long term it wont be good

 

[ice41]

Not sure why you want to do that, but if you're still wondering how to do it, here it is.

<div style="display:none;">TEXT HERE</div>

<div style="text-indent:-99999px;">TEXT HERE</div>

 

[TheAdvertisingMan]

Google frowns on it
So long term it wont be good

Yeah I know. It's a CH&B project.

Not sure why you want to do that, but if you're still wondering how to do it, here it is.

<div style="display:none;">TEXT HERE</div>

<div style="text-indent:-99999px;">TEXT HERE</div>

Thank you, much appreciated.

 

[vpeersz]

Google immediately detect such things. A long time ago, this method works but now no

 

[darkportrait]

Thanks for the thread. I didnt know Google frowns on it. Good to know.

 

[BoiseMarketer]

By no means do I consider Matt Cutts's word as being sacred. But here is a Youtube video where he talks about this concept a bit. I can't post a URL so search for "matt cutts hidden text" on Youtube. The video is called "Hidden text and/or keyword stuffing" posted in 2013.

In today's latest iteration of Google's sophistication, it might be safe to assume that content cloaking is far more detectable. Google parsing through CSS to test for matching font and background colors or layered elements with text being covered is more than likely happening.

Just a few short 5-7 years back, it was widely accepted that Google couldn't read/couldn't understand/and ignored JavaScript entirely. As of 2011 Matt Cutts confirmed "Google is now able to execute AJAX/JS to index some dynamic comments." That was 3 years ago!

All things being equal, it would seem if a Google bot is sophisticated enough to run JS, it can do some rudimentary test to determine content cloaking.

 

[bartosimpsonio]

Don't use the CSS method. Use cloaked out javascript. The text should display fine, but with a JS you can set those CSS attributes to get the text out, you cloak out that JS when the bots visit the site, leaving the text in evidence.

 

[BoiseMarketer]

As you can see by my profile, I'm new around these parts.

Could you kindly elaborate on the technique of using "cloaked out javascript"?

My presumption is to use PHP's $_SERVER variable to detect the Google footprint, right?

I'd love to see a code snippet to experiment with, if you would be so kind.

 

[TheAdvertisingMan]

I've implemented the CSS method 16 days ago and also fired a bunch of links at the money site since then. Dances between #70-#130 positions for few keywords for the last few days. (Very difficult niche.) Not sure if it will get better but I believe so as there is about 6,000 links coming in the following days. I might also try to switch to the JS method as well to see if it helps.

 

[TheAdvertisingMan]

Google parsing through CSS to test for matching font and background colors or layered elements with text being covered is more than likely happening.

I believe in this too. Actually, I am testing this at other money site as well as the hidden text method. Let's see what happens.