I've been seeing some people use the `.sr-only` or `.visually-hidden` classes to secretly stash in extra keywords in their HTML. For example, someone might put "affordable laptops" hidden alongside a visible heading that says only "best laptops" to boost their SEO. Since screen readers can still pick up this hidden text, I'm wondering if this practice is seen as a smart strategy for SEO, a harmless little hack, or just plain risky that could get flagged by search engines. What do you all think?
5 Answers
Using `.sr-only` or `.visually-hidden` for hidden keywords is considered keyword stuffing. Google sees any hidden text intended to manipulate rankings as a big no-no, which could lead to penalties. Instead, focus on incorporating your keywords into the content that users can actually see.
I tried using the `.sr-only` class just for accessibility—like adding ‘Close’ to a button, but my Lighthouse report flagged my links for not having descriptive text. Is that a bad move?
I’d suggest focusing on ARIA labels for context instead of hidden text. They give proper accessibility without risking SEO.
Google has been very clear about this: any hidden text or links meant to mislead users is treated as spam and goes against their spam policies. It’s best to use semantic HTML and ARIA attributes instead of trying to hide keywords.
This is often called black hat SEO, and search engines are onto it! You could end up banned from search indexes if caught. Stick to visible content and leverage ARIA labels for accessibility instead of hidden text.
Definitely not a good idea! Those classes should be used for accessibility, like making sure visually impaired users can understand what buttons do. If you slap hidden keywords in there just to game the system, you're risking penalties from Google.
Yeah, back in the day, people used to hide a ton of keywords that matched the background color! Totally frowned upon now.
But what if you just need a visually hidden title for a section? I've seen that done too.