Comments on: HTML “text-indent: -9999px” and holding the line http://maileohye.com/html-text-indent-not-messing-up-your-rankings/ My favorite things! Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:17:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Walter Ian Kaye http://maileohye.com/html-text-indent-not-messing-up-your-rankings/comment-page-1/#comment-2481 Walter Ian Kaye Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:17:06 +0000 http://maileohye.com/?p=844#comment-2481 Not all browsers support sprites. Specifically Opera Mini on my cell phone. Fortunately Facebook Mobile only used a sprite for a relatively short time. In short, sprites are not mobile friendly. Not all browsers support sprites. Specifically Opera Mini on my cell phone. Fortunately Facebook Mobile only used a sprite for a relatively short time. In short, sprites are not mobile friendly.

]]> By: Springboard SEO http://maileohye.com/html-text-indent-not-messing-up-your-rankings/comment-page-1/#comment-1434 Springboard SEO Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:23:37 +0000 http://maileohye.com/?p=844#comment-1434 Analogy: Walking into Red Lobster dressed up like a gangster isn't going to get you kicked out of the restaurant--but if you and your rough looking friends start making noise, you might be thrown out quicker than other noise makers, since eyes might already be on you? Perhaps negative text-indents trip a flag, and after a certain number of flags are tripped, a site goes under manual review? If you aren't up to any sneaky tricks with a site, I wouldn't worry at all about image-replacement or other legitimate uses of negative text indents. Analogy:

Walking into Red Lobster dressed up like a gangster isn’t going to get you kicked out of the restaurant–but if you and your rough looking friends start making noise, you might be thrown out quicker than other noise makers, since eyes might already be on you?

Perhaps negative text-indents trip a flag, and after a certain number of flags are tripped, a site goes under manual review?

If you aren’t up to any sneaky tricks with a site, I wouldn’t worry at all about image-replacement or other legitimate uses of negative text indents.

]]> By: AS http://maileohye.com/html-text-indent-not-messing-up-your-rankings/comment-page-1/#comment-1285 AS Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:58:08 +0000 http://maileohye.com/?p=844#comment-1285 Since I can't edit, what I typically do is put a 'span' inside an 'a' element (or any other element) which also has inside it the alt text (e.g. Home as in this case) and then do the rest with CSS as described. Since I can’t edit, what I typically do is put a ‘span’ inside an ‘a’ element (or any other element) which also has inside it the alt text (e.g. Home as in this case) and then do the rest with CSS as described.

]]> By: AS http://maileohye.com/html-text-indent-not-messing-up-your-rankings/comment-page-1/#comment-1284 AS Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:56:07 +0000 http://maileohye.com/?p=844#comment-1284 How about using z-index along with CSS sprites? This is what I typically do: <a>Home</a> Then in the CSS I set a background-image for #home and the appropriate hover effect to position the image and set the z-index of #accessibleHome to -1 (also don't forget to set position to relative, absolute or fixed). This way, if a user has images disabled he/she will be presented with the 'Home' text that was sent back using z-index. Is this also considered 'bad' and should be avoided? How about using z-index along with CSS sprites? This is what I typically do:

Home

Then in the CSS I set a background-image for #home and the appropriate hover effect to position the image and set the z-index of #accessibleHome to -1 (also don’t forget to set position to relative, absolute or fixed). This way, if a user has images disabled he/she will be presented with the ‘Home’ text that was sent back using z-index.

Is this also considered ‘bad’ and should be avoided?

]]> By: Dominic Watson http://maileohye.com/html-text-indent-not-messing-up-your-rankings/comment-page-1/#comment-1198 Dominic Watson Sun, 22 Aug 2010 19:33:10 +0000 http://maileohye.com/?p=844#comment-1198 You have an image with a pig and text that says: Save with our bank now! Save with our bank now! These two techniques produce the same result. What is the problem? When you need to use sprites, the text indent 'trick' makes the site load quicker for users. If it was best practise to stick a pencil in your eyes, would you do it? No cause its stupid and there are alternatives. It's the same with the following, which will get you penalised regardless of what technique is used... best practise or not.This is deceitful because you're packing keyword rich text into it that doesn't have anything to do with the picture. Money saving techniques save techniques with bankname now! Apple and Wordpress do it... why can't anyone else? The widely used HTML and CSS specs are very old... why are standards and Google holding back a technology that is forever moving forward? You have an image with a pig and text that says: Save with our bank now!

Save with our bank now!

These two techniques produce the same result. What is the problem? When you need to use sprites, the text indent ‘trick’ makes the site load quicker for users. If it was best practise to stick a pencil in your eyes, would you do it? No cause its stupid and there are alternatives.

It’s the same with the following, which will get you penalised regardless of what technique is used… best practise or not.This is deceitful because you’re packing keyword rich text into it that doesn’t have anything to do with the picture.

Money saving techniques save techniques with bankname now!

Apple and WordPress do it… why can’t anyone else? The widely used HTML and CSS specs are very old… why are standards and Google holding back a technology that is forever moving forward?

]]> By: Put Your Top Keywords In The Masthead | DevWebPro http://maileohye.com/html-text-indent-not-messing-up-your-rankings/comment-page-1/#comment-1090 Put Your Top Keywords In The Masthead | DevWebPro Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:32:14 +0000 http://maileohye.com/?p=844#comment-1090 [...] situation I suggest using an image replacement technique. Now this is not a clear cut issue, and some people at Google don’t endorse it. So if you are going to use it make the image exact or very close to the text being replaced. The [...] [...] situation I suggest using an image replacement technique. Now this is not a clear cut issue, and some people at Google don’t endorse it. So if you are going to use it make the image exact or very close to the text being replaced. The [...]

]]> By: How To Silo Your Website: The Masthead | seo cloak http://maileohye.com/html-text-indent-not-messing-up-your-rankings/comment-page-1/#comment-1082 How To Silo Your Website: The Masthead | seo cloak Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:05:11 +0000 http://maileohye.com/?p=844#comment-1082 [...] situation I suggest using an image replacement technique. Now this is not a clear cut issue, and some people at Google don’t endorse it. So if you are going to use it make the image exact or very close to the text being replaced. The [...] [...] situation I suggest using an image replacement technique. Now this is not a clear cut issue, and some people at Google don’t endorse it. So if you are going to use it make the image exact or very close to the text being replaced. The [...]

]]> By: Removing Page Titles In Thesis — Jim F Munro http://maileohye.com/html-text-indent-not-messing-up-your-rankings/comment-page-1/#comment-1081 Removing Page Titles In Thesis — Jim F Munro Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:31:07 +0000 http://maileohye.com/?p=844#comment-1081 [...] a recommended solution because of the possibility of being construed (by the search engines) as a nefarious, evil, black hat technique. Oooooh *hand [...] [...] a recommended solution because of the possibility of being construed (by the search engines) as a nefarious, evil, black hat technique. Oooooh *hand [...]

]]> By: SEO Checklist : Best Practices | One man SEO http://maileohye.com/html-text-indent-not-messing-up-your-rankings/comment-page-1/#comment-1037 SEO Checklist : Best Practices | One man SEO Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:57:16 +0000 http://maileohye.com/?p=844#comment-1037 [...] -9999em; left:-9999em;display:none, etc), which is not ideal because the search engines may discount this as hidden text.Important: resist the temptation to work in additional keywords or text into the text replacement, [...] [...] -9999em; left:-9999em;display:none, etc), which is not ideal because the search engines may discount this as hidden text.Important: resist the temptation to work in additional keywords or text into the text replacement, [...]

]]> By: SEO Checklist Best Practices | One man SEO http://maileohye.com/html-text-indent-not-messing-up-your-rankings/comment-page-1/#comment-1036 SEO Checklist Best Practices | One man SEO Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:50:22 +0000 http://maileohye.com/?p=844#comment-1036 [...] If you must have graphical navigation, do you use the CSS image replacement technique as a workaround, and do those graphics have descriptive and keyword-rich ALT attributes that are useful for both humans and search engines? Image Replacement is a technique that employs CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to substitute in replacement copy and HTML – such as a text link or heading tag – when the stylesheet is not loaded (as is the case when the search engine spiders come to visit.) The text-based replacement is weighted more heavily by the engines than the IMG ALT attribute — thus it is preferable to relying solely on the ALT attribute. Of the many ways to implement the image replacement technique, most use CSS to physically move the text off the screen (text-indent: -9999em; left:-9999em;display:none, etc), which is not ideal because the search engines may discount this as hidden text. [...] [...] If you must have graphical navigation, do you use the CSS image replacement technique as a workaround, and do those graphics have descriptive and keyword-rich ALT attributes that are useful for both humans and search engines? Image Replacement is a technique that employs CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to substitute in replacement copy and HTML – such as a text link or heading tag – when the stylesheet is not loaded (as is the case when the search engine spiders come to visit.) The text-based replacement is weighted more heavily by the engines than the IMG ALT attribute — thus it is preferable to relying solely on the ALT attribute. Of the many ways to implement the image replacement technique, most use CSS to physically move the text off the screen (text-indent: -9999em; left:-9999em;display:none, etc), which is not ideal because the search engines may discount this as hidden text. [...]

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