Hidden text and links
Black hat. Against Google’s spam policies. Risks a manual action or a ranking drop. White, grey and black hat SEO compared
What are hidden text and links?
Hidden text and links are content placed on a page so that search engines can read it but visitors cannot see it, added to manipulate rankings. Google’s hidden text and link abuse policy names white text on a white background, text hidden behind an image, text positioned off screen, zero font size or opacity, and links hidden in tiny characters.
Hidden text is usually stuffed with keywords. Hidden links are usually there to pass link equity to another site, often one that paid for the link or one a hacker is promoting.
Plenty of hidden content is fine. Google says accordions, tabs, sliders, tooltips and text that only shows after a click or hover are normal design, as long as they improve the experience. Text for screen readers, such as visually hidden labels, is also fine.
Why hidden text and links matter for SEO
Hidden text is easy to add by accident with an old theme or a plugin, and easy to inherit from a previous owner or agency. Hidden links are one of the most common signs that a site has been hacked.
The white hat alternative is to put useful content where people can see it, with content optimisation, and to earn links through link building rather than hiding them.
Risks of hidden text and links
- A “Hidden text and/or keyword stuffing” manual action in Search Console.
- Algorithmic demotion of the pages involved.
- Hidden outbound links can also trigger an “Unnatural links from your site” action.
- Hidden links you did not add are often a sign of a hack, which carries security risks for your visitors.
How to find hidden text and links
- Select all text on the page (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A) to reveal text in the same colour as the background.
- View the page source and search for keyword blocks or links you do not see on screen.
- Look in CSS for display:none, visibility:hidden, font-size:0, opacity:0 or large negative positions applied to text that is not part of a real UI element.
- Check footers, widgets and theme files for links to sites you do not recognise.
- Remove anything hidden for search engines; if you did not add it, treat it as a hack and secure the site.
Hidden text and links example
<div style="position:absolute; left:-9999px;">
cheap flights cheap flights london cheap flights paris
<a href="https://example-casino.test/">online casino</a>
</div>Hidden text and links FAQ
Is content in accordions or tabs hidden text?
No. Google says content revealed by tabs, accordions and similar elements is fine, and it indexes it.
Is text for screen readers hidden text?
No. Visually hidden labels that help assistive technology are an accessibility practice, not spam, as long as they are not stuffed with keywords.
Related SEO terms
Keyword stuffingBlack hat
Keyword stuffing is filling a page with keywords, numbers or place names in an unnatural way to manipulate rankings, against Google’s spam policies.
CloakingBlack hat
Cloaking is showing search engines different content from what users see in order to manipulate rankings, which breaks Google’s spam policies.
Hacked content and injected spamBlack hat
Hacked content is spam pages, links or redirects placed on a site without the owner’s permission by exploiting a security hole.
Black hat SEOBlack hat
Black hat SEO is the use of tactics that break search engines’ spam policies, such as paid links, cloaking or keyword stuffing, to rank faster.
Outbound links are links from your site to other websites. Linking to useful sources helps readers and does not drain your rankings.
Manual action (Google penalty)
A manual action is a penalty a Google reviewer applies when a site breaks its spam policies, demoting or removing pages until the issue is fixed.