What do dashes look like to Google?

[tim27487]

Simple question.

If I'm writing a description for my website (which usually shows up in the search results). Does Google recognise dashes in-between keyword phrases as being spaces?

E.g Is "bird cage training" the same as "bird-cage-training" according to Google?

In other words will these dashes affect my keyword phrases?

Thanks

[jhoecannon]

I do not believe dashes effect Google. If you go to Google Search and type in "bird-cage-training" or "bird cage training" you get the same results - only nine sights found, in both cases, and all are the same sights.

[ishabluebell]

I just did a little experiment with Market Samurai, which uses Google's figures for Searches and SEOC (SEO competition). I now suspect that it depends on what the words are:

smith-jones: searches 0, competition 236k
smith jones: searches 217, competition 223k

see-through dress: searches 40 (estimate), competition 148k
see through dress: searches 730, competition 147k

see-thru dress: searches 20 (estimate), competition 79.8k
see thru dress: searches 217, competition 69.7k

sign-up page example: searches 0, competition 170
sign up page example: searches 0, competition 170.