Will Google Read White Words?

dougchips

I added some keywords to my landing page to keep Google happy. Now I have this list that looks out of place sort of like a pile of crap at the bottom of my page! I went back and highlighted the list and changed the font color to white---looks nice since nothing is there. Can the Google spiders read white text?

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DerrickVWS

Either change the words back to a color or delete them. Google and many other search engines are known to penalize you for "hiding" content.

Can you imagine if "unsavory" websites could just put invisible text all over their sites to look better in Google?

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Derrick Delliquadri
Vision Web Services | Contractor Websites

Nathan

Yea, that's a no no....

You might want to read through this: http://www.google.com/support/webmas...y?answer=35769

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Nathan

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

dougchips

Thanks, I have to stop looking for ways to beat the system.

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Susan Betz

There's nothing wrong with beating the system. Keep the keywords, just make the font small (size 8) and a color that sufficiently contrasts with the background and you're cool.

Better than keywords is content with keywords - there's no substitute. I still use keywords in a header table in every page. They match the content in the text.

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Fences of Distinction, Ocala, FL
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dougchips

That looks good on your site. Some of my keywords are mis-spellings and I really don't want people to see them. For some reason people search for vynal(windows), while I would like these people to see my site I don't want people that can spell to think that I am a crack head. I have it set now at font=8 and a dim shade, not sure how it will fly.

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PressurePros

I think it would be more effective to setup a google PPC campaign with those misspelled keywords. You can probably bid a nickel and be number one.

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Ken Fenner
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Roof Cleaning Services PA

mickeyco

If you want to hide the misspelled words use the alt tag for an existing image or add a small transparent gif at the bottom of the page and put your words in the alt tag.

woodmagman

Google "edmonton builder" check out the "cached" for the builder on the top "landmark..." then look at his site normally. It is cazy...................

dougchips

SO where did he hide all of that crap+ still get the top listing?

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woodmagman

He didn't, I think the ugly page was submitted to get the ranking then once he was placed they put the new site up. It is a gamble but it is working for now. There is a ton of white at the bottom of that page. I am not sure what goolge is doing because the page has not refreshed yet.

George Z

Don't do it.
Short term gains if any will be minimal.

The problem is, local competition will report you here

I know 4 paint contractor sites that did similar things and vanished.
It could take years for your site to come back.

Besides, a pathetic website (and that stuff is pathetic, is not good business

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RobertCDF

Looks the same to me

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

Susan Betz

Why would anyone put up a page like that? Top listing or not, I can't imagine a client being interested in even looking at that.

Justice will come when Googlebot catches up with the new page. There's nothing to crawl there, just the title. Heh.

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Fences of Distinction, Ocala, FL
http://www.fencesofdistinction.com

dougchips

Robert, when you do the search and see the results---click on cached which you will see next to the link. This show you a photo of the website that the google bot took on their last visit and will highlight the keyword. (The guy beat the system)

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To get the best replacement windows, or sun rooms contact the replacement windows experts at FHI Vinyl Window Company.

Second Look

Naaah, he just fooled it for a short while.

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George Z

Google wins all the time. It's a matter of time.
Play with their rules, you do ok.
It takes as much effort to cheat as it does not cheating.
Try to beat the system, you lose.

And what about ethics?
Black hat SEO is unethical. (some say all SEO is)
A small number (but growing)of your visitors, are aware your website cheats.

If I was a betting nan, I would put my money on the Google machine, not the offending site

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dougchips

Second Look + George, would have to agree with both of you. What is common place today in regard to SEO might be cheating Friday morning. Since I don't care for the term cheating, I chose to use the words "creative approach". The issue is that my "creative approach" was thought of already and is now a no no (cheating).

Some of the sites that I have been looking at are great for their keywords but almost unkind to the reader. Made up example:

"Dallas *** are ready for your Dallas area xx project. Dallas *** paint in Dallas and the Dallas area. Do you live in Dallas? If so, say Dallas *** 6 times to win a free Dallas area *** shirts............

When I find a company that impresses me enough I will outsource my web-sites and stick to what I do best. Until then I will practice back alley abortions, I mean doing my own web-site thing.

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To get the best replacement windows, or sun rooms contact the replacement windows experts at FHI Vinyl Window Company.

Micvanlen

Google is extremely thurough and will ban any site trying to get a better ranking with tricks. Google wants to see sites that get popular through slow and organic means as measured by backlinks. Using websites to drum up business is a thing of the past guys. The best you should expect is to use a website as a source of information for existing clients or referals and that's about it.

InternetGuy

Google cached is a snapshot of the last time the google bot went through his site. The google bot goes through sites on a weekly or sometimes daily basis. So the next time it comes through, that cached version will also be updated. So if his ugly site is somehow on top based on that cached version, it won't be for long.

Doing things like that aren't really against the rules, it's just a waste of time and effort. Build your site for the longterm, there are no shortcuts.