Tabbed content impact

[ThomasHarvey]

Hi all,

I know historically tabbed content has been devalued, what's the situation currently? I've heard a lot about mobile first changing this.

This is a design that has been produced by our designers:

https://i.gyazo.com/35f655c7ba2bc89a87b9476e4a14534d.png

Each tab contains approx 1000 words and previously has been a unique article.

Would love to know your thoughts on this design and the benefits/losses of doing it like this.

Thanks,

Tom

[Andy.Drinkwater]

Hi Thomas,

You are correct that Mobile First is changing the game when it comes to tabbed / accordion content. Google's take on this now is that they will help usability by not having pages and pages of content on show.

From a desktop point of view, will this help when visitors arrive? Will they know to find the answers they seek behind a tab? Can you have one design for desktop and another for mobile?

Google haven't really said anything about using tabbed content on a desktop site once Mobile First hits, but based on the fact that it will be powering the desktop SERPs, I wouldn't have thought it was a big problem - as long as it enhances the page for a desktop user.

One more thing - John Mueller did tell me in a recent Tweet that layout can affect ranking, so take the time to test what works well for your visitors - it could be the difference between a win and a loss.

-Andy