All CSS Designed Sites?

[outatime]

Hello all

Newbie to SEO here to be gentle. I have a friend at work who designs websites and he has started to design all his sites in CSS, I don't just mean text he now does tables and everything in CSS its fully CSS driven.

Unfortunitly I don't use CSS like he does, I can use basic CSS for text and other items.

My sites are made in php using sql database, I use a header and a footer and the content goes in the middle and I use CSS.

My question is will his site gain much in terms of SEO over my php/sql driven site? Is my co-workers design the way forward?

Thank you all, great forum.

James

[ADAM Web Design]

First of all, PHP and CSS are not conflicting technologies. PHP is a server-side processing language, and CSS merely styles the output. So PHP and CSS can play nicely.

Having said that, I think your friend's thinking is the way forward. CSS greatly reduces the amount of HTML code, which affects load time. It also leads to fewer design errors as a result.

There are other SEO benefits too.

[JuniorOnline]

if you know how to use CSS in the text - spend an hour or 2 reading the CSS tutorials..and you will know how easy it all can be!

Nothing difficult about CSS, its the same as HTML, but use external file and use classes and Id's.

in terms of tables, all you need to do in CSS is create a container (which works like a box) and then you decide where to position it on the page.. far more simpler than tables I think. I always found tables confusing ;)

Good luck though...hope you become the BEST CSS expert sooooooooooooon :)

[KeithO]

Hello all

Newbie to SEO here to be gentle. I have a friend at work who designs websites and he has started to design all his sites in CSS, I don't just mean text he now does tables and everything in CSS its fully CSS driven.

Unfortunitly I don't use CSS like he does, I can use basic CSS for text and other items.

My sites are made in php using sql database, I use a header and a footer and the content goes in the middle and I use CSS.

My question is will his site gain much in terms of SEO over my php/sql driven site? Is my co-workers design the way forward?

Thank you all, great forum.

James

Don't worry about the server side coding of the site. the search engines only read the client side. I am currently taking a client's web site from being inline styled and minimal CSS to better coded and higher CSS usage to reduce the code levels. I have made it so far to where it is using 1/3rd of the amount of code with the same look to a visitor.

[WebMasterKrames]

I know how to do both, and I still use html like you do. All CSS sites don't do very well at all on older browsers.

HTML = will always work

CSS = NOT backwards compatible


Using it for text formating is ok, it'll just default back to the default format. On ancient browsers your dropdown menus may not work with CSS so I usually put links at the bottom just incase.

my $.02

[KeithO]

CSS in its basic form hasn't changed mutch. Its not CSS issues, its IE issues in their selective interpretation of W3C standards. very rarely do you see anyone using anything older than IE5 so why care about anything prior to that?

[richkoi]

One of my favorite links for starting a CSS layout:

http://csscreator.com/version2/pagelayout.php

[southplatte]

CSS is very forward thinking - is plays nicely with PHP and other server-side languages.

The only problem is cross-browser friendliness - but that is due to browser issues NOT css issues. Furthermore cross-browser issues originated in the mid-90s and have existed ever since and it is nothing new to a seasoned designer/developer to create cross-browser html/css/code.

I have started making all my sites 100% pure css - and it has made maintenance much faster, easier and it makes changes on a dynamic site even that much more simple.

As far as SEO, you can style any HTML tag to appear how you want, so for those that put more weight on an H1 tag, you can style it exactly how you want to.

Also, when going with XHTML and other newer standards you find the need to use CSS because many pages will no longer validate due to fonts being specified or colors etc.

[OLYMPOS]

Hi there,


i have recently redesigned our website, using now CSS for tables, colors, sizes and else. I am very satisfied with the results.

I agree with the posting from ADAM Web Design:

"CSS greatly reduces the amount of HTML code, which affects load time."

********
About outatime questions:

"Is my co-workers design the way forward?"

YES sure.

"My question is will his site gain much in terms of SEO over my php/sql driven site"

Not at all. I have since about one month both online html code and CSS, please see as examples:

English, new with CSS for tables, colors and else
http://www.olymposyachting.com/en/ya...alessandro.asp

French, still old version:
http://www.olymposyachting.com/fr/ya...alessandro.asp

It makes a big difference for people using a modem (loading speed).

I am not using button-gifs and design gifs, all internal links are textlinks in tables (...There are other SEO benefits too).

[freehits]

One of my favorite links for starting a CSS layout:

http://csscreator.com/version2/pagelayout.php

Love that link, what a finger saving tool.
Very nice.