Is Tabbed Content A Google Ranking Factor?

In-page tabs and accordions are UI controls that divide content into logical sections to improve the user experience.

By navigating through each tab or clicking to reveal a new section of text from the accordion, page visitors can switch between different views.

But how does this affect the SEO value of content that isn’t visible until the user navigates to it and reveals it?

Many people have wondered whether Google still uses hidden content in its ranking algorithm over the years.

So, let’s see what happens.

The Claims: “Hidden” Content Influences Rankings

The question is whether Google devalues or even ignores content that is hidden from the user using UX/design elements.

It’s important to note that we’re not talking about using CSS to position text off-screen or hiding it against the background, for example, in order to manipulate the algorithm.

Tabs and accordions, like their namesakes from the old world of paper filing, are used to organize page content.

Tabs are usually arranged horizontally on web pages.

Without having to load a new page each time, the user can move from tab to tab to reveal new content.

Users can click to open each section of an accordion, which typically closes the others as the new section opens (but not always, which can result in a very long page of text).

Tabs and accordions can be used for a variety of purposes, including:

The content of the FAQs.
For accessibility, use video transcripts or descriptive content.
User reviews that can be truncated but still allow users to “Read More.”
Getting around complicated topics.
On a single page, categorize different types of information.
And there’s a lot more.

Tabbed Content As A Ranking Factor: The Evidence

The following is what Google’s Webmaster Guidelines say about hidden content in tabs:

“Make your site’s important content visible by default. Google is able to crawl HTML content hidden inside navigational elements such as tabs or expanding sections.
However, we consider this content less accessible to users, and believe that you should make your most important information visible in the default page view.”

In a 2013 response to a viewer’s question, “How does Google treat hidden content that becomes visible when clicking a button?” Matt Cutts addressed the issue from a webspam standpoint.

He believes that using an accordion or tabbed structure that allows users to hide and reveal content has good usability benefits.

You won’t get any spam actions as long as you don’t try to deceive people with hidden, over-optimized text.

This indicates that Google does not consider tabs or accordions that are properly structured and formatted to be hidden text.

Is the content in those tabs, however, given the same weight as the content on the page that is always visible?

In 2014, Google’s John Mueller was questioned about reports that Google ignores content that isn’t visible to a user unless they click on a “click to expand” button when rendering pages.

Mueller said,

“…I think we’ve been doing something similar for quite a while now, where if we can recognize that the content is actually hidden then we’ll just try to discount it a little bit. We kind of see that it’s still there, but the user doesn’t see it. Therefore, it’s probably not something that’s critical for this page.”

He clarified that he was referring to both accordions and tabs, and suggested that if you want your content to be indexed, make it visible to users.

Tabbed Content As A Ranking Factor: The Evidence

That advice on tabbed content, aside from the Webmaster Guidelines excerpt above, is quite old.

Google’s view of what constitutes a great user experience has shifted over time, especially when it comes to mobile.

In 2016, Google’s Gary Illyes responded to a tweet asking if content in in-page elements like accordions was devalued on mobile, and his answer was straightforward:

“No, in the mobile-first world content hidden for UX should have full weight.”

Mueller recently confirmed that tabbed and accordion content is not devalued in a Google Webmaster Central office hours episode from March 2020. When questioned:

“In the mobile-first indexing world, will the hidden content behind tags and accordions still be devalued — for example, because there is a lower chance it’ll be seen by a user?”

Mueller responded:

“No. Specifically, when it comes to content on mobile pages, we do take into account anything that’s in the HTML.
So if there is something there that might be visible to users at some point, we will include that in the indexing. That’s completely normal.”

Our Opinion On Tabbed Content As A Ranking Factor

Content is a ranking factor, and allowing users to choose what and when they see content does not devalue it.

It would be the same if you tabbled the content as if you didn’t.

So, does it really matter if the content is tabbed or not?

We know that Google gives tabbed content the same weight as the rest of the text on the page when using mobile-first indexing.

The most important aspect is the content, not the fact that it is tabbed.

There are a variety of ways to “hide” tabbed content, some of which prevent Google from crawling it.

And if Google is unable to crawl your content, it will not be seen or used to help you rank.

When used correctly, tabbed and accordion content can also improve user experience – especially on mobile.

If you’re trying to deceive people with hidden text, you could face a partial or site-wide penalty.

To be clear once more, the key component is the deception, not the fact that the content is tabbed in a deceptive manner.

Use these elements strictly from a UX perspective as a best practice.

Consider Google’s use of an accordion structure on its Search Console help resource page:

The accordion is used to reveal FAQs as a navigational tool.

When you click on a question, it takes you to a new page with the longer form answer.

This accomplishes both UX and SEO goals.

The user can quickly see all of the broad topics and drill down into more specific questions.

Instead of 15 or 20 somewhat disconnected answers in core body content opening up and closing back down on the main page, they can navigate to a more focused page and dig deeper into the response they choose.

As an authoritative response to a specific question on its own page, each individual answer is stronger from an SEO standpoint.

Consider how you can make your visitor’s journey and experience with your content better first.

Most of the time, that’s exactly what you’ll need to do to boost your SEO.