Hidden category content really bad?

[seowork214]

Hi Guys,

I'm working with a site which has hidden based category content see:

http://i.imgur.com/Sgko2we.jpg

It seems google are still indexing these pages but i heard Google might ignore or reduce the benefit of hidden content like this.I just want to confirm if this is the case? And if this is a really bad thing for SEO?Cheers.Sgko2we.jpg

[Tenlo]

Google does not reduce the effects of hidden copy, it is actually a huge negative.  Copy like this is considered a trademark of older, spammy sites so when Google finds it (and Google will) it can reduce your page's visibility a little all the way to being a factor for your site to be delisted from Google.  There is no point in placing any copy onto a page if it is not displayed in a user readable fashion.

[LoganRay]

You are not at risk for being removed from Google's search index. In fact, Google has recently adjusted their stance on hidden content and no longer ding sites for having it **IF **it's done for the benefit of UX, specifically mobile device UX. Here's a recent statement from Google's Gary Illyes on the subject: https://www.seroundtable.com/google-content-tabs-hidden-change-22950.html

Review the layout and functionality of these pages, if you believe it's helpful for UX, then stick with it. You could also run a test where you take a sample of your category pages and unhide the content by default to see if they perform better.