Google recently announced an increased emphasis on mobile-first with a goal of improving the user experience. While this change will enhance user experience, it also changes the way content hidden behind tabs is used for ranking purposes. In the past, Google had indicated that crawlers would ignore hidden content, but a recent tweet by Gary Ilves sheds new light on the subject.
Since most users search Google today using a mobile device, the search engine began experimenting with mobile-first indexing in November 2016. This new approach may have an impact on your SEO and the way that your site ranks in Google; algorithms will shift to using the mobile version of your content first, instead of the traditional desktop first method used in the past.
The shift to including hidden content when crawling sites means that all your content needs to be optimized, and that you will not be penalized for content in accordion tabs or content that is hidden entirely. Updating checklists and audits to reflect this change can help ensure that you benefit from this new approach and that you make the most of your site’s hidden content.
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