CSS and SEO?

[marybgamer]

My webmaster is trying to tell me that there's no added benefit to putting CSS in a separate file in terms of SEO. Right now every page has 800 lines of CSS code embedded in it before actually getting to any content, and I'm convinced this is hurting us with the search engines. I've always been told that one of the enormous benefits of using CSS is that it allows you to keep all your style code in a separate document and get your real content closer to the top of the page.

Does anyone have any links or experts on the web I can visit so I can start compiling a compelling argument? Or is my webmaster right and do the search engines "skip over style code" and will moving that 800 lines of heavy code to a style.css file not make a difference?

We get almost no organic traffic and I'm getting very worried.

Thanks,
Mary

[Guki]

Just ask them that:One girl naked and the other girl blanketed with 800 clothes,which one attract you more?

[sgietz]

Wow!

I couldn't tell you if this affects SEO in any way --- that's not my forte --- but here's my take on this:

First I question the need for 800 lines of CSS. Second, even if every line is necessary, having them on every page is insanity beyond logic. This guy needs to cut those lines, paste them in a separate stylesheet and link to it from all the other pages.

Guki, I like that analogy, but that only works if we assume that both girls are attractive :D

[Guki]

Ha!sgietz~u r right,its also works:)Just a joke.

to marybgamer,maybe u can visit Zeldman's blog for some helpful things

[edited by: SuzyUK at 5:29 pm (utc) on April 24, 2008]
[edit reason] Please No URI's, see guidelines at top of forum [/edit]

[willybfriendly]

I would advise you think in terms of usability rather than SEO on this one.

Page loads will be much quicker if the CSS is moved to a separate file. If your webmaster doesn't understand this, then you need a new webmaster.

[swa66]

If you are using the same 800 lines of code on more than one page: don't doubt a second and move it to a separate file.

Next take a serious look at those 800 lines, that's a lot, question why it needs to be that long.

For SEO in itself might not make much difference, a lot depends on which search engine and what version of it. SEO is shootign for a moving target as the search engines adapt. So it's best to focus on where it counts: your visitors. The search engines will follow (eventually) if you care about the visitors first.

Finally, if you want a webmaster, get one that helps you, and not fights you.

[vincevincevince]

Signals of Quality?

[g1smd]

So, if you want to change something about the main site design, how do you make that change to every page of the site?

Do you actually have to edit every page of the site and then upload every page again? If you do, then that is crazy stuff.

Or, is the CSS in a single "include file" that gets included into every page of the site. if it is, then that is much better, but can still be improved by having the CSS totally external.

[netchicken1]

I go with willy...

If your webmaster is having trouble with this simple and obvious technique, you need another webmaster, what ELSE is he screwing up on your site?

have you got miles of JS in your code as well?