White Text Penalty

[Steven1976a]

If we use white text against a pink background on our menu bars is this okay? I mean do search engines recognise that the white text is against a background colour and therefore stands out on the page.
It doesnt just recognise the white text and think that we are hiding text on the page does it?

[stymiee]

The color of your text will never get you in trouble. You only get in trouble when you try to manipulate your rankings. If you are not trying to manipulate your rankings then you are fine.

It's not technique, it's intent.

[Webnauts]

Stymiee do you want to say here that if the contrast between background color and foreground color is not efficient, that you cannot get problems?

[amar]

Its not matter with the color you use. The background color and the text color should not be same.

[hhheng]

Search engine itself can't detect a webmaster using the same background color for the text color to hide text. But others can report this to google, yahoo and msn, and then you will get some penalty based on the seriority of your action.

[Webnauts]

Originally Posted by hhheng

But others can report this to google, yahoo and msn, and then you will get some penalty based on the seriority of your action.

I did this already some times against smart competitors, and they have been banned. Thank you for pointing that out too.

[adbart]

What Webnauts said first gets straight to the heart of the question.

In my opinion, I'm pretty sure that Google's algorithm takes into account the contrast difference between the text colour and the background colour.

If the difference is negligible, then you will be punished in your rankings. However, I would say that if you feel it's borderline, you'll probably be OK. They don't want to punish people like you who are simply doing this on a design basis, rather than to hide keyword-rich text on their pages!

Have you got a link to the page in question? It would be useful to see it in context.

[incrediblehelp]

Originally Posted by stymiee

It's not technique, it's intent.

I think that says it best.

[parkoskar]

White Text on a White Back-ground is the Alert sign for the google algorithms...

We should try to keep contrast in the text and background color...

[Steven1976a]

My worry originally was that if we use "White" text it would set off the alarm bells but i now realise that its not the colour of the text which is the issue but whether the same colour on the same background colour is the issue. So this could be black on black also.

So i think from the replies we can safely conclude that our white text on a bright pink background will be okay. The text will be very visible as it will be our main menu links so we want everyone to see it.

[Webnauts]

Originally Posted by Steven1976a

So i think from the replies we can safely conclude that our white text on a bright pink background will be okay. The text will be very visible as it will be our main menu links so we want everyone to see it.

But I do not think. It is up to you though. No one can tell for sure if the SE evaluate the color luminosity or contrast/difference.

If your thoughts or of others here are right, then we can also use a white (#ffffff) background and a foreground color (#f1f1f1 or #fafafa) which is not really white. :)

My tip: On a white background, never use for that color a lighter color than this #C000C0 for a minimum efficient luminosity, or for a minimum efficient contrast difference, not lighter that #800080.

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Off-topic: By the way can someone give me also hand? http://www.webproworld.com/viewtopic.php?t=70731

[resuccess]

why do they allow you to use an invisible ink if it's illegal? it's like puting food on the table and telling everyone not to eat it.