Definition
Hidden text and links are content placed on a page so that search engines can read it but users cannot easily see it — white or near-invisible text on a matching background, text positioned off-screen or behind an image, a font size of zero, text hidden with CSS that is not a legitimate interactive pattern, or links wrapped around a single invisible character. The purpose is to stuff keywords or pass links without affecting the visible page.
Google lists this as a spam policy violation.
Legitimate patterns that hide content situationally — accordions, tabs, "read more" expanders, screen-reader-only text that accurately describes visible elements — are not violations, because the content is accessible to users through normal interaction and is not deceptive. The line is intent to deceive: content meant only for the crawler.
In context
For iGaming affiliates, hidden text and links are an old, high-risk tactic that still appears: cramming extra operator names, market and keyword variations, or bonus terms into invisible text to rank for more queries without cluttering the visible page, or hiding outbound links to pass equity. It is a clear spam violation that can get a page or site penalised, and it adds nothing durable — the same keyword coverage can be achieved with genuine, visible content if the query actually deserves coverage.
The practical guidance is straightforward: everything the page is optimised for should be in the visible, readable content; use accordions, tabs and expanders only where they are genuine UX and the content is one interaction away; keep screen-reader-only text accurate to what is shown; and never wrap links around invisible or zero-width elements. For a glossary, this means each term's substance is fully visible, related-term links are real visible anchors, and there is no invisible keyword block.
An audit for hidden text (checking for CSS that pushes content off-screen, matching text and background colours, zero font sizes, and links on empty anchors) is worth running on any inherited or older affiliate site. For affiliate-facing content, the framing is that hidden text and links are unambiguous spam, carry penalty risk, and are never necessary — if content is worth having for ranking, it is worth showing to users.
Worked example
An affiliate auditing an acquired site finds a block of white-on-white text listing dozens of operator and market keyword combinations, plus outbound links on zero-width spans. It removes both, folds any genuinely useful terms into visible content where the query justifies it, and adds a hidden-text check to its pre-publish review.
A minor manual action on the site is lifted after reconsideration.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Browse the full iGaming & affiliate glossary — hundreds of EN/RU terms with examples.
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