Comments on: Does using CSS affect SEO? http://www.hm2k.com/posts/css-seo The research of an internet entrepreneur and IT consultant Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:15:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jeff http://www.hm2k.com/posts/css-seo/comment-page-1#comment-189801 Jeff Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:43:40 +0000 http://www.hm2k.com/archives/24#comment-189801 The article was quite interesting and sounds rational to me but I come away with open questions. Supposedly search engines look at headings for example with H1 tags. With CSS if the engine only read the markup it would never know that the heading exists. Search engines care about the relative position of certain words. Without analyzing CSS the search engine would have no way to know where anything is positioned on the page (to an extent it could possibly figure out high vs. low, but even then with the right CSS everything could easily be upside down). So these examples (and there could be several more) make me think that CSS could possibly have a Negative impact on rankings depending on how heavily some of the things I mentioned are weighted. This is not a theoretical question. I'm trying to figure out right now how to put keywords in a title but I don't think Google will know it is a title because its a 100% CSS webpage. The article was quite interesting and sounds rational to me but I come away with open questions. Supposedly search engines look at headings for example with H1 tags. With CSS if the engine only read the markup it would never know that the heading exists. Search engines care about the relative position of certain words. Without analyzing CSS the search engine would have no way to know where anything is positioned on the page (to an extent it could possibly figure out high vs. low, but even then with the right CSS everything could easily be upside down). So these examples (and there could be several more) make me think that CSS could possibly have a Negative impact on rankings depending on how heavily some of the things I mentioned are weighted.

This is not a theoretical question. I’m trying to figure out right now how to put keywords in a title but I don’t think Google will know it is a title because its a 100% CSS webpage.

]]> By: Simon http://www.hm2k.com/posts/css-seo/comment-page-1#comment-174893 Simon Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:41:09 +0000 http://www.hm2k.com/archives/24#comment-174893 Nice article, and you are right about CSS not working in older browsers, and there is always issues with IE and Firefox displaying content differently. Nice article, and you are right about CSS not working in older browsers, and there is always issues with IE and Firefox displaying content differently.

]]> By: hm2k http://www.hm2k.com/posts/css-seo/comment-page-1#comment-121397 hm2k Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:59:25 +0000 http://www.hm2k.com/archives/24#comment-121397 Wow, did you even read the whole article? 1. Search engines are backwards compatible, thus tables don't matter. 2. Not using tables forces you to use schematic markup. Better code can mean better search results. 3. Schematic markup helps SEO, not CSS. CSS styles the markup. Just because they are established doesn't mean that common sense doesn't over-ride, further more, their choice of wording isn't exactly in-depth. Wow, did you even read the whole article?

1. Search engines are backwards compatible, thus tables don’t matter.
2. Not using tables forces you to use schematic markup. Better code can mean better search results.
3. Schematic markup helps SEO, not CSS. CSS styles the markup.

Just because they are established doesn’t mean that common sense doesn’t over-ride, further more, their choice of wording isn’t exactly in-depth.

]]> By: Tim http://www.hm2k.com/posts/css-seo/comment-page-1#comment-121373 Tim Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:57:22 +0000 http://www.hm2k.com/archives/24#comment-121373 Interesting.. you strongly claim css will not help with seo, then you reference "Why tables for layouts are stupid”.. On page 3 they say that css WILL "get you better search engine results". I don't know either way but Seybold is very well established and I don't think they would say that if it were false. Interesting.. you strongly claim css will not help with seo, then you reference “Why tables for layouts are stupid”.. On page 3 they say that css WILL “get you better search engine results”. I don’t know either way but Seybold is very well established and I don’t think they would say that if it were false.

]]> By: Darren - SEO Company http://www.hm2k.com/posts/css-seo/comment-page-1#comment-18107 Darren - SEO Company Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:43:16 +0000 http://www.hm2k.com/archives/24#comment-18107 Hi Thanks for the article, i am going to reference this in my blog on the same subject. What do you think of the idea that another benefit of using CSS and DIVs is that you can manipulate the order that text appears to the search engines by positioning elements on the page so that all your keyword rich content is not preceded by useless links that might dilute the potency of the first paragraph and H1 tag. Hi Thanks for the article, i am going to reference this in my blog on the same subject. What do you think of the idea that another benefit of using CSS and DIVs is that you can manipulate the order that text appears to the search engines by positioning elements on the page so that all your keyword rich content is not preceded by useless links that might dilute the potency of the first paragraph and H1 tag.

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