Tiny Text

How bad is it?

[bokesch]

I have about 10 must-have keyword phrases on my homepage and I've read I need these to appear at least 3 times in the body text in order for google to pick up on them.

Well, in order to do this I had to use some tiny text (sz1) disquised as links for a site map at the bottom. There is a total of about 100 words of tiny text, which is also keyword intensive.

I'm having a hard time getting my PR past 3, and this site is really keyworded up the a** and it is even in the yahoo directory with a few other good links too. Does the small text really cause a big problem?

[SlyGuy]

Bokesch

I think you have to ask yourself what the use is.

Is the tiny text on the page helping your visitors or PageRank?

If you're looking to increase the PR on your website, start by adding solid content and more backlinks. This might help. [webmasterworld.com]

If it looks like spam, smells like spam...

- SlyGuy

[heini]

>three times
No, that's not neccessarily so. It's much more important to get them into the right pkaces; title, headers, and link text.
Put them into the linktext of your internal navigation.

Tiny text is not a big issue in reality.
There are however ways to build your keywords into your pages, which are way more effective and totally safe.

>pagerank
PR is absolutely independant of your content and your design. Not even an issue here.
PR exclusively is derived from links pointing to your site.

[rfgdxm1]

>Well, in order to do this I had to use some tiny text (sz1) disquised as links for a site map at the bottom. There is a total of about 100 words of tiny text, which is also keyword intensive.

So, you *really* want your site to get the Google Death Penalty and be banished from Google for eternity? If you have "10 must-have keyword phrases", then don't try and put them all on the home page. Design interior pages, each targeted at one keyword phrase, and link that to the home page.

[edited by: heini at 8:02 pm (utc) on Feb. 4, 2003]
[edit reason] see sticky ¦ thanks! [/edit]

[bokesch]

What is the minimal text size you can use without being penalized?

[rfgdxm1]

It must be *clearly* visible to humans. And, if it is keyword intensive and designed for SE bots like you say, such blocks of text are enough to get you booted out of Google and all other search engines that count. I'd say you should remove that tiny text spam block immediately if not sooner unless you want your site permanently banned from Google.

Again, the honest way to do this is to design one page on your site, with no dishonest search engine trickery like you have been doing, for each keyword phrase. Much more effective, too.

[heini]

Bokesch, with tiny text the problem is this: I don't buy it that search engines really have effective filters for that.
In a hand review the absolute size may not be the real factor, but if the reviewer thinks your text is for keyword stuffing or not.
Your's is.
Seriously, take the advice given here by rfgdxm1. It's not only risky, it's not a very effective strategy. There are so much better/effective ways to get your keywords up on the page.