The Edward Show
Accordions in SEO: Did Google Lie About Ranking Hidden Content?
Mar 19, 2025
The podcast dives into Google's claims about hidden text in accordions and tabs. SEOs conducted experiments that revealed shocking truths about its impact on rankings. It turns out, visible content consistently outperforms hidden content for organic traffic. The discussion emphasizes the critical link between user engagement and search engine success, urging a rethink of strategies. Prioritizing accessible content layouts over aesthetics can boost digital marketing outcomes. Prepare for insights that might change how you think about SEO!
08:10
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Quick takeaways
- Studies reveal that fully visible text on web pages draws 12% more organic traffic than text hidden in expandable elements.
- User engagement metrics, like clicks and time on a page, significantly influence search rankings, emphasizing the importance of visible content.
Deep dives
The Impact of Hidden Text on SEO
SearchPilot conducted an experiment to determine how Google treats text hidden within elements like accordions or tabs compared to fully visible text. The results showed that text displayed openly gained 12% more organic sessions than text that was hidden. This indicates that having content visible on web pages significantly improves organic traffic, aligning with findings from another experiment by Reboot that also favored visible text over hidden text. While Google asserts that they treat hidden text equally, these experiments suggest that user preference for readily accessible information plays a crucial role in search engine rankings.
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