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Thread: Hidden Skip link have SEO impact?
Number of posts in this thread: 5 (In chronological order)
From: Rick Hill
Date: Wed, Mar 16 2011 12:36PM
Subject: Hidden Skip link have SEO impact?
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It was suggested to me that hiding our skip navigation links be moving them off the visible page and re-displaying them when they gain focus (a popular approach) may have negative consequences for search engine rankings. Is this true? Is it something to be concerned about? The technique in question is referenced at:
http://webaim.org/techniques/skipnav/#focus
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Rick Hill, Web CMS Administrator
University Communications, UC Davis
From: John E Brandt
Date: Wed, Mar 16 2011 12:54PM
Subject: Re: Hidden Skip link have SEO impact?
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Unless the technique to hide the Skip Navigation was using some
non-standards-based code (i.e., hack) to do this, the search engines would
not care. What I have read and heard about SEO in the last few weeks is that
the major things affecting SEO rankings are the quality (and now apparently
quantity) of content and the number and quality of incoming links. Following
this is the use of standards-based code including good use of Headings and
semantic descriptions for outbound links. So bottom line, if you are
producing good accessible and standards-based code on your website, your SEO
rankings will be improved.
BTW, I just blogged about Skip Navigation
http://jebswebs.net/blog/2011/02/skip-navigation/ I think it may be past
it's prime.
~j
John E. Brandt
www.jebswebs.com
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
207-622-7937
Augusta, Maine, USA
From: Jared Smith
Date: Wed, Mar 16 2011 1:18PM
Subject: Re: Hidden Skip link have SEO impact?
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We've heard assurances from Google that this technique will not
automatically result in negative search engine impact so long as it is
not used maliciously or in a way that is obviously trying to deceive
their algorithms. I think this is a very safe technique especially
considering that the first link on Google.com is an off-screen,
screen-reader specific link.
Jared Smith
WebAIM.org
From: Susan Grossman
Date: Wed, Mar 16 2011 1:33PM
Subject: Re: Hidden Skip link have SEO impact?
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>
> BTW, I just blogged about Skip Navigation
> http://jebswebs.net/blog/2011/02/skip-navigation/
> *I think it may be past
> it's prime*.
>
>
I agree things are getting better and that properly coded pages play into
the newer features in screen readers and may not require skip links.
It does seem to me that your statement can only be truly valid if you assume
that everyone is coding their pages semantically using Headings, and Aria
correctly.
Seems to me to draw your conclusions the survey would've had to ask the
question: When you get to a site that has no skip links, uses no headings,
uses no aria, uses no labels and is full of images without alt tags, do you
continue on or do you leave.
I'm not saying your wrong that they are less important, I just feel you
don't have enough data for your conclusion, even with a "may" in there.
Please feel free to disagree and help me understand why my logic is
incorrect,
Susan
~j
>
> John E. Brandt
> www.jebswebs.com
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> 207-622-7937
> Augusta, Maine, USA
>
>
>
From: Julie Romanowski
Date: Wed, Mar 16 2011 1:39PM
Subject: Re: Hidden Skip link have SEO impact?
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Skip links aren't just for screen reader users. Keyboard-only and screen magnification users also benefit from skip links.