<h1> tags with class and style used

does google count an h1 tag with class and stlyes

[brianminer]

Do the search engines discount <h1> tags that are using class and style attributes to control the way the header content is displayed?

[keywordguru]

It is said that if you use css they are not.....yet am not fully sure. I do know that I have used it both in its normal (ugly) large state, as well as in css and it has helped.

Rather than use class and styles for the specific tag, just create a style within a separate .css file and refer to the named style, rather than setting the styles directly in the html. That is how I do it.

KG

[brianminer]

Thanks for the reply... Yes, using CSS to declare the style and class is what I had in mind... as shown below... This would give me credit for <h1><h2> and <b>/<strong> tags.... Correct?

Brian.
-------Examples Below-------

Replace <span class="bodybold18"> </span>
With <h1 class="bodybold18"> </h1>

Replace <span class="body16"> </span>
With <h2 class="body16"> </h2>

Replace <span class="bodybold12"> </span>
With <strong class="bodybold12"> </strong>

[keywordguru]

That is how I have done it with success.

<h1 class="test">
test
</h1>

I have also seen bolds done like this yet am not sure if this is the correct way:
<p class="bold">test2</p>

I am sure there are many ways to do it, yet this way has worked for me. Give it a run and see how it does.
KG

[nuevojefe]

If you're concerned about google knowing you're manipulating Heading tags why not just set the style of the actual tag in css and not make it a class at all?

Meaning just the use of <h1>heading</h1> will alter whatever is in the tag to whatever size/style you set in css.

The same applies to bold, etc. Doing <p class="bold"> will not tell google the text is bold, it will get no extra weight over any other paragraph text.

[brianminer]

Thx nuevojefe,
I can see what your saying about <p class="bold"> not telling a SE that its bold but what about <b class="bold12"> or better yet <strong class="bold12"> This way you could have multiple preset bold attrubutes in your css...

Does this work any better?

Brian

[keywordguru]

oh yeah!
That's right. There is in fact a way to edit the .css so an H1 carries a style by simply posting <h1>text</h1>

I just did this the other day and it worked.

Add this to your .css

-------
h1 {
font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size: 10px;
color: #FF0000;
}
-------
Then anything with simply <h1> will display!

Have Fun with that
KG

[nuevojefe]

Hi Brian,

Sure, either of those would work well.

Funny, with all the talk of removing code bloat and the many ways css can be used to hide ugly seo practices used to gain advantage over what could normally be done (from an aesthetics standpoint) most of the hardcore SE spamming I watch seems to be in favor of keeping CSS to a minimum and often not external - along with using some pretty ugly tags <h1><font size="20px" color="030303" font-family="verdana, helv..."><b>. Almost like saying "see, nothing to hide here".

Good luck.

[brianminer]

Thanks Nuevojefe,
My goal as developer is to build sites that appeal to the end user, that are clean and easy to use. I also need to look at what exactly the SE's are looking for and giving it to them while maintaining the sites look and feel.

I'm glad I found this site and the forums here where there are so many experienced developers and designers.

Thanks all for your time!
Brian

[nuevojefe]

Brian,

You're welcome and what you've mentioned is an important goal; one which will be made much easier by your participation in places like WebmasterWorld.

Welcome to WW and best wishes.