Tabs and accordions on a page are a type of user interface (UI) control that can improve user experience by dividing content into logical sections.
Visitors to the page can then switch between different views by stepping through each tab or clicking to reveal a new section of text from the accordion.
But how does that affect the SEO value of hidden content until a user actively navigates to it and reveals it?
Many over the years have wondered if Google still uses this type of hidden content in its ranking algorithm.
So let’s see.
Claim: “Hidden” content is a ranking factor
The question here is whether Google devalues content that is initially hidden from the user or ignores it with UX/design elements.
It’s important to note that we’re not talking about masking text in an attempt to manipulate the algorithm with CSS to put it off screen or hide it in the background, for example.
Tabs and accordions are used to organize page content in much the same way they name it from the old-school world of paper-keeping.
On web pages, tabs are usually arranged horizontally.
The user can navigate from one tab to another to reveal new content without having to load a new page each time.
And with an accordion, users can click to open each one, and the other sections usually close when the new section is opened (but not always, which can result in a very long page of text).
Tabs and accordions can be useful for:
- questions and answers Content.
- video texts or Accessibility descriptive content.
- User reviewswhich can be truncated while giving users the option to “Read More”.
- navigate through complex topics.
- to Classification of types of information on one page.
- and many more.
Evidence of tabbed content as a ranking factor
That’s what Google Webmaster Guidelines It has to say about hidden content in tabs:
Make the important content of your site visible by default. Google can crawl HTML content hidden within navigation elements such as tabs or expanding sections.
However, we consider this content to be less accessible to users, and we believe you should make your most important information visible in the default page view.”
Matt Cutts addressed the problem from the perspective of spam web content in 2013 In response to the viewer’s questionHow does Google handle hidden content that becomes visible when a button is clicked?
He said there are good reasons to use an accordion or tabbed structure that allows users to hide and reveal content.
As long as you don’t try to be deceptive with the over-optimized hidden text, you won’t trigger any unwanted actions.
This tells us that Google does not see properly organized and formatted tabs or accordions as hidden text.
But is the content on those tabs weighted as important as the page content that’s always visible?
in 2014Google’s John Mueller was asked about Google reporting that, when viewing pages, ignoring content that is not visible to the user unless they click the “Click to Expand” button.
Mueller said,
“…I think we’ve been doing something similar for a long time now, where if we can realize that the content is actually hidden, we’ll just try to reduce it a little bit. We kind of see that it’s still there, but the user doesn’t see it. So, it’s probably nothing Critical to this page.”
He noted that he was talking about both accordions and tabs, and advised that if you want content to be indexed, make sure it is visible to users.
The evidence against classified content as a ranking factor
The thing is, aside from the Webmaster Guidelines excerpt above, the advice on classified content is very outdated.
Google’s perception of what makes a great user experience has evolved, especially when it comes to mobile.
In 2016, Google’s Gary Illyes responded to a question via Twitter asking if content in page elements like the accordion was devalued on mobile, and his response was straightforward:
“No, in a mobile-first world, hidden UX content should carry full weight.”
Mueller was recently confirmed in the March 2020 Google Webmaster Center Business Hours Loop That tabbed and accordion content is Not devalued. when asked:
“In a world of mobile-first indexing, will content hidden behind tags and accordions still be valued low — for example, because there is less likelihood that a user will see it?”
Mueller replied:
No. Specifically, when it comes to content on mobile pages, we consider anything that is in HTML.
So if something might be visible to users at some point in time, we will include it in the indexing. This is completely normal.”
Classified content as a ranking factor: Our judgment
Content is a ranking factor – and don’t undervalue it by giving users control over what content they see and when.
The Content tab will basically be the same as not clicking on it.
So does it matter in the end whether this content is classified?
We know that with mobile-first indexing, Google gives tabbed content the same weight as the rest of the text on the page.
The content is the main part, not the fact that it cost him.
There are many ways to “hide” tabbed content – some of which make it impossible for Google to crawl.
And if Google can’t crawl the content, that content won’t be seen and won’t help you rank.
Proper use of tabbed and accordion content can also improve your user experience – especially on mobile.
If you attempt to use hidden text deceptively, this is where you risk a partial or site-wide penalty.
To be clear again, here: the key part is the deception, not the fact that the content has been deceptively tabbed.
As a best practice, use these elements strictly from a UX perspective.
Take a look at how Google itself uses an accordion structure Search Console Help Resources page:
Image from Search Console Help, Feb 2022The accordion is used as a navigational tool to reveal frequently asked questions.
Clicking on a question opens a separate page where the longer answer is located.
This serves both UX and SEO goals.
It is easy for the user to see all the general topics at a glance and delve into more specific questions.
They can then go to a more focused page and dig into the response of their choice, against 15 or 20 more or less separate answers in the body’s content opening and closing back on the main page.
Each individual answer is more powerful from an SEO perspective than an authoritative response to a particular question on its own page.
First think about how you can improve the visitor’s journey and experience with your content.
Oftentimes, this is exactly what you need to do to improve your SEO as well.
Featured image: Robin Biong / Search Engine Journal
