So, I want to hide text...

[wige]

On my web site, which performs fairly well in the search engines, we have found that our company logo and phone number are not displayed when pages are printed. Management wants me to add a box to the top of every page that will contain our company name, domain name, and phone number, and then hide this box except when the page is printed.

Would adding this (albeit limited) hidden text to the site's pages potentially hurt us?

[crankydave]

hmmmmmm... possibly.

Can you duplicate what is not being printed in the "box" rather than something different? Perhaps make it an image instead if hidden text for the print function?

Dave

[earnest]

Seems like a slippery slope... Are you sure you have considered all the options available to avoid using hidden text? It might still be a risky thing, although you are not going to stuff the hidden text with a bunch of keywords.

[DesignsOnline]

Why not add a no-follow link for a "Printer friendly" version and link to a version of the page that has all the required text and details in the place of the logo etc...

Joe
http://www.get-listed-in-google.co.uk

[imvain2]

:DAVE:
I believe the printing of images is the actual problem. The browser's printer settings are probably set to not print images.

This little text shouldn't affect anything.

If you think about it, there are many things that are "hidden" text and even links. Like CSS drop down menus, are "hidden" divs.

Or even all flash sites that have a hidden div with the content of the page.

Just include a stylesheet for the printer media and have that unhide the div.

[InfoHQ.us]

Stay away from hidden texts unless you want the SEs to treat your site as spamming.

I suggest you read http://www.seochat.com/c/a/Search-Engine-Optimization-Help/Hidden-Text-in-Websites/

[imvain2]

Although having your company information in a hidden div isn't a big deal, there is an alternative.

In an external javascript, write a hidden div to the page that contains your contact details.

Have a stylesheet for the print media that displays that div.

This way when the user selects to print, the contact details will be shown and the content will not be hidden on your page as it will be part of a javascript file.

I know that SE's do spider javascript files, but the content of those JS files aren't given any credit or taken away any credits for content. If they did, then MANY sites would be penalized for having dhtml on their sites.

Yes, I know this assumes that the users have javascript enabled. Which, from my experience most seem to have it enabled.

[cbosleeds]

There's some good suggestions here.

I'd say the simplest option though would be to add a css class to your company name / contact details images. Then specify this as printable (display:block or display:inline) in the print stylesheet, so that its differentiated from the images that are set to display:none.


If this doesn't work, your other option to avoid hiding text is to use position:relative;top to push the company name and contact details somewhere down the bottom of the page on the regular stylesheet, and then just leave it where it is at the top on the print stylesheet.

Never any need to hide text.

[NetProwler]

There are many ways as others here have pointed out. A couple that comes to mind:

1. Have a Print Only version with the box at the top containing all the contact details. Block this version from the robots by the usual meta tag.

2. Set up a print class to your CSS and add this box as an image. But the flip side is people can't copy the information contained in that.

[ddwalker1]

what is the url for the site?

[SteveGerencser]

Uh, what is wrong with hiding the text?? I see nothing at all.. You are not serving up different pages to people and bots.. The only thing that would see the 'hidden text' is a printer in theory..

Too many people are too skeert of Heir Google to worry about what is best for their viewers rather than what might offend our Great Google Overlords..

Do it and don't worry about it.. Or even better, redesign the age so that that info in included in a place on every page where it will be both seen and printed..

[weegillis]

Doesn't IRT (Image Replacement Technique) hide text behind an image? It flashes before the image loads, so you can see it for a second or two on page load.

Screen readers see it, and so does the printer, even without a style sheet. It was a well documented technique a few years ago; nobody said anything about G not approving of it.

[shniager]

You can always block your printer friendly version with robots.txt

[explorador]

You can add a div, use css to put this as the last element (even as it appears first) so, lucky you it will the last bytes the SE read (IF they read it). Also, use the hide function for the div on printing.

[sandycarmichael34]

I'd stay away from hidden text all together bro. Use an image or something. Hidden text is one of the ultimate "tricks" for spam. Google and other search engines patrol it highly.

[martynb]

Doesn't IRT (Image Replacement Technique) hide text behind an image? It flashes before the image loads, so you can see it for a second or two on page load.

Screen readers see it, and so does the printer, even without a style sheet. It was a well documented technique a few years ago; nobody said anything about G not approving of it.

I agree, I see it nearly everyday this method and they still haven't been removed or punished by Google.

As long as the content is genuine I don't see the problem.