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Are tables still bad for SEO?

by AceOfShirts
11 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I've built a couple of new WordPress blogs lately. I've been customizing the header area to add my logos and some text. The best way I can get it to line up like I want is using tables.

I remember reading a long time ago that SE's didn't like tables or couldn't read what is inside of them.

Is this still accurate, or was it ever?

Thanks,

Dennis

P.S. Anyone know how to create the layout I want with div tags if tables are a problem with SE's? I just want the logo on the left and a couple of lines of text on the right.
#bad #seo #tables
  • Profile picture of the author commarketing
    When designing pages, however, stay with CSS and DIVs as those are the best ways to structure a page.
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    • Profile picture of the author RMC
      One thing for sure...it changes the code to content ratio.

      So the difference would look like...

      <div id=main>TEXT</div>

      with an external css file giving all the attributes

      or alternately

      <table border="1" width="100%" id="table1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="border-collapse: collapse" height="100" bordercolor="#000000"><tr><td valign="top">TEXT</td></tr></table>

      Clearly, you'll have a smaller file, and should be quicker to crawl with css.

      Personally, I'm lazy I just make whatever is fastest to make. If I have a direct sales page I don't really care about the seo. I drive traffic other ways and nobody scans source as part of their purchasing decision.

      In any event, if it were accounted for it would be weighted a million times less than some of the known components of the googlrithm and therefore not worth the time to consider.

      However, if you do css and more modern coding the geeks that do work for you will be happier. And nobody wants to deal with geek fury. (note: it's easier to edit later and make site wide changes. )

      And one should note, you can still use tables with CSS, but you leave the properties of the tables to the css file and can cut it down to something like

      <tables class=main><tr><td id=maintd>TEXT</td></tr></table>

      If you are going to be doing much of this, I would suggest a book from the bookstore. However if you just want to line up a few things do a google search for "exterrnal CSS file" "CSS tables" and pretty much CSS and any other html tag and you'll get a mountain of tutorials online.
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      • Profile picture of the author nouseforaname
        Is it tables or frames? I think it's frames, table is okay with them. Correct me if I'm wrong, btw here's I get from Google Webmaster Guidelines:
        Code:
        <tbody><tr>
<td><strong>Design and content guidelines</strong> </td>
<td width="21%"><a href="#1">Learn more...</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Technical guidelines</strong> </td>
<td width="21%"><a href="#2">Learn more...</a> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Quality guidelines</strong> </td>
<td width="21%"><a href="#3">Learn more...</a> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
        Signature

        [LEFT]yurckk

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        • Profile picture of the author Andrew O
          Originally Posted by nouseforaname View Post

          Is it tables or frames? I think it's frames, table is okay with them. Correct me if I'm wrong, btw here's I get from Google Webmaster Guidelines:
          Must be referring to frames, SE's can certainly read what's in a table.

          However, as others have said it's best to use CSS when possible, but even the best sites sometimes use tables here and there. I know I'm guilty of it at times when I'm in a pinch for a quick solution.
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    • Profile picture of the author erwindegrave
      Originally Posted by commarketing View Post

      When designing pages, however, stay with CSS and DIVs as those are the best ways to structure a page.
      100% agree! using CSS is the best way to structure a page.
      Signature
      Erwin de Grave
      Success Coach & Internet Marketer
      www.MassiveAffiliateIncome.com
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      • Profile picture of the author paulgl
        Who gave you advice about tables?
        Tables are the choice for websites. I know of nothing
        else. And tables have nothing to do with SEO.

        And as far as CSS goes, I may be in the minority, but it
        stinks. Especially as you try and hand code a worpress blog.
        They CSS every friggin thing that it makes it a pain in the butt.
        And that has nothing to do with SEO either. Just another
        way of coding a page. CSS has very little to do with a page's
        "structure." I have seen some CSS that is so long, with everything
        CSS'd, even the things where there is only one of them. Makes
        it a pain to change anything. Tables without CSS are the most easiest
        and effective ways to make a web page, and make it very easy
        to alter.

        Easier to crawl? Google has weak arms? They give you thousands of
        search results in the blink of an eye. Follow the KISS method. I've
        seen CSS files that are 10 times as long as the article on the page!
        Making a website "easier" to crawl, would be simple html, php. Period.
        That is, if google really did need it to be easy. All they need is all links on
        the main page or a site map.

        I wonder how much of you actually hand code pages...

        CSS files are not easier to edit if you have a zillion things CSS'd. Then it
        becomes finding a needle in a haystack and tweaking it.
        So much simpler with simple html tags. That way, you can zero in on
        the table, images, etc. that you want to edit without pilfering through
        a CSS file. Those of you who tweak wordpress blogs know exactly what I
        mean. I can't tell you how many times I have had to find the right CSS line
        for a table by needing to search for the hexadecimal color code. That's what
        makes many CSS files ridiculous.

        Paul
        Signature

        If you were disappointed in your results today, lower your standards tomorrow.

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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    Originally Posted by dnsg View Post

    P.S. Anyone know how to create the layout I want with div tags if tables are a problem with SE's? I just want the logo on the left and a couple of lines of text on the right.
    It is relatively simple.

    HTML:
    HTML Code:
    <div class="holder">
            <div class="alignleft">here goes what you want on the left</div>
            <div class="alignright">here goes what you want on the right</div>
        </div>
    CSS:
    Code:
    .alignright {
    float: right;
    }

.alignleft {
    float: left;
    }

.holder {
    display: block;
    text-align: center;
    }
    The above code gives you the basics. Of course, you can add background, margins, borders, width, height... whatever else you need. Just keep these basics that do the following:
    - the "holder" div keeps together and on the same line both the left and right aligned divs;
    - the "floats" push the two divs inside the holder to the right and left;

    HTH
    Signature

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  • Profile picture of the author tjcocker
    Gotta agree with paulgl,

    I just do plain html pages and seem to rank just fine. I like hand coding html, but any time I run into CSS I cringe. Sure, it's great for a site with hundreds of pages if you want to change something about the layout on all of them, but otherwise it's more trouble than it's worth for sites with less than 5 pages.
    Signature
    Initrode Consulting -Boulder SEO, Copywriting, Editing, Website design, etc...
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  • Profile picture of the author jig
    I think a good 90% of the content on the web is created by people who are NOT optimizing their sites for google/seo, so if you want to make a page with tables, I really wouldn't worry about it... Really shouldn't be too big of a factor in terms of SEO and listing well. If the content is good and the backlinks are there, you should do fine.
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  • Profile picture of the author bigcat1967
    I'm hearing that bots can crawl CSS pages faster - but I have seen sites w/ tables on top of the SERPs as well as CSS pages.
    Signature

    <a href="https://changeyourbudget.com/save-money-on-your-water-bill/">How to Lower Your Water Bill</a>

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  • Profile picture of the author Phil Ayres
    CSS is definitely preferable, because you can control the order in which SEs read content on your page. But, they don't have problems parsing tables. The downside is, it is more difficult to control the order on the page in which SEs see your content. But, it can be done.
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