Master Gmail Deliverability: What 4,700 Words of Filler Text Can Do for You

David Gilmore
5 min readOct 6, 2024

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Get into the inbox…

Email marketers live and die by the Gmail tabs — there’s no denying it. You’ve spent hours crafting the perfect email only to hit “send” and watch your hard work slip into the Promotions tab abyss. Frustrating, right? Well, here’s where things get interesting. There’s a way to beat Gmail’s algorithm and secure a spot in the prized Primary tab. Best of all? You won’t have to change the core of your message or resort to bizarre spellings like “m0ney” or “ka.sh.”

What’s the trick? It’s all about balancing content, and the magic ingredient is invisible HTML.

The Power of Invisible Content

Imagine this: you’ve got a 300-word email that’s loaded with all the sales-heavy content Gmail loves to flag. Mentioning deals, promotions, or special offers? That’s a surefire way to get shoved into the Promotions tab. But what if you could camouflage those 300 words within a much larger email? Say, a 5,000-word email, with the majority being completely irrelevant to sales. Sound far-fetched? It’s not.

Here’s how it works: Gmail’s algorithm scans your email, analyzing the ratio of promotional content to everything else. If that 300-word sales pitch is surrounded by 4,700 words of neutral, invisible text, the algorithm deems your email far less “salesy.” In fact, Gmail might just toss it into the Primary tab — right where you want to be.

Why Invisible?

But how do you manage to sneak in 4,700 words of extra content without bombarding your readers with a wall of text? Simple. You wrap those words in HTML tags like <span style="display:none;">. This technique makes the additional content invisible to your subscribers but visible to Gmail’s algorithm.

Here’s an example of how you might structure it:

<span style=”display:none;”> Did you know the average person drinks 8 glasses of water a day? Water is essential for maintaining bodily functions, from digestion to circulation… </span>

What does this achieve? The promotional content gets diluted. It’s like hiding a needle in a haystack, except the needle is your sales pitch and the haystack is a pile of neutral, harmless text.

Crafting the Invisible Content

Craft your invisible content.

Now, you might be thinking, “What exactly am I supposed to fill 4,700 words with?” The key is to generate content that’s unrelated to your offer but still neutral enough to pass under Gmail’s radar. Think of it like writing filler text — AI-generated blurbs about the weather, trivia, random facts about daily life. You don’t want it to be engaging or attention-grabbing. In fact, you want it to be as boring as possible, so Gmail’s bots are the only “eyes” that ever see it.

The best part? You don’t even have to write it yourself. AI tools can churn out these blocks of content in minutes. Just make sure you change it up from time to time. Gmail doesn’t like seeing the same content repeatedly and could flag static patterns as suspicious.

Play the Long Game

The brilliance of this strategy is that it allows you to keep your message intact while boosting your deliverability. You don’t have to water down your pitch. You don’t have to change “money” to “m0ney.” You don’t have to reframe your offers into something they’re not. Instead, you’re simply adjusting how the message is delivered to Gmail, not the reader.

And let’s face it: landing in the Primary tab means more than just higher open rates. It’s about trust. Emails in the Primary tab feel personal, like messages from a friend or colleague. When your subscribers see your email nestled among personal emails, they’re far more likely to engage.

Avoiding Sales Triggers

Of course, while the invisible content trick is powerful, it works best when paired with a few other best practices. One of the most critical is avoiding spam trigger words. Words like “discount,” “offer,” “free,” or even “limited time” immediately raise red flags. Gmail’s filters are trained to spot these terms, and even with invisible content padding your email, an overuse of these words could still send you to Promotions​.

Instead, try using more subtle language. Rather than “buy now,” try “learn more.” Instead of “limited offer,” go for “check out the details.” You can still convey urgency without sounding like an infomercial.

Creative Sales Angles to Maximize Effectiveness

Now that you’ve got the technical side down, let’s talk about crafting the sales angle that resonates while still sneaking past the filters. Here are a few approaches that pair beautifully with this invisible HTML tactic:

  • Storytelling: People love stories. Weave a personal narrative or customer success story into your pitch. For example, tell a short anecdote about how someone solved a problem using your product. The story softens the sales pitch, making it feel like a conversation rather than a hard sell. Since it’s embedded within the broader content, Gmail sees more “non-promotional” language, increasing your chances of landing in Primary​(Influno).
  • Educational Approach: Turn your sales message into a learning opportunity. Instead of simply saying, “Here’s our latest product,” try, “Here’s how you can improve your workflow.” Provide value through education, and then transition into how your product can help.
  • Social Proof: Highlight testimonials or reviews, but frame them in a way that feels organic. Instead of “Our customers love us!” say, “Here’s what Sarah had to say after using our product for a month.” The shift from self-praise to sharing someone else’s experience feels less promotional and more trustworthy​.

Keep Testing

As with any marketing strategy, testing is crucial. Invisible content is powerful, but it’s not foolproof. Run A/B tests to measure how Gmail responds to different lengths of invisible text. Experiment with various types of filler content. Track your open and click-through rates. Over time, you’ll find the sweet spot that works best for your audience and your message.

Ethical Considerations

Before you rush off to pad your next email with invisible content, take a moment to consider the ethics of this approach. While it’s an effective tactic, it’s important to ensure that your message still offers value to your readers. The goal is not to deceive your audience but to find a way to present your message without being unfairly penalized by an algorithm.

Final Thoughts

Invisible HTML is one of the most underutilized yet effective strategies in email marketing today. It allows you to maintain the full integrity of your sales message while slipping past Gmail’s filters like a stealthy ninja. By combining this method with smart copywriting, minimal sales triggers, and consistent testing, you’ll increase your chances of landing in the coveted Primary tab — right where your emails belong. And best of all? Your pitch stays strong, untouched, and exactly how you intended it to be.

Find the full step-by-step details to do this the Ultimate Email Marketing Hacks.

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