QUESTION Is private page hidden from search engines?

[craiga]

Hi, I've been asked a question. . .  Are the private pages hidden from the search engines (Google etc)

I always assumed they were but wanted to see for sure

Thanks

[Felix]

Are the private pages hidden from the search engines (Google etc)

Hi Craiga,

Good question. It would be a matter if bots and crawlers can reach those pages.
I think bots and crawlers can only reach the pages in the available site menu
and the site map. Let's find out for sure.

[colekayley]

One of the first and most well-documented on-page SEO penalties- intentionally hiding text or links from users, especially for the sake of loading the page up with keywords that are just for Google, can invite a nasty penalty. Some leeway appears given in legitimate circumstances like when using tabs or tooltips.