SEO Tip #35: Are CSS-based layouts better than tables for SEO?

Matt Cutts: Frankly I wouldn’t worry about it. We see tables, we see CSS, and we have to handle both. We try to score them well no matter what kind of layout mechanism you use.

Frankly I would use what’s best for you. A lot of people these days tend to like CSS because it’s easy to change your site. It’s easy to change the layout. It’s very modular whereas tables sort of have this Web 1.0 kind of connotation to them.

But if you have the best site, we will try to find it and we will try to rank it highly regardless of whether it’s table based or CSS based.

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About the Author

Andy Johnson

Andy Johnson has been on the Internet since the its dawn(ie his first computer program was recorded on cassette tape) and his first hard drive cost about as much his current MacBook. His first byline was in 1993 for a local newspaper rag he eventually helmed, and his last “real job” was at a computer start up which ended when it ended. Throughout it all he’s freelanced and blogged. Now he is mesmerized by Search Engine Optimization forever trying to “rise to the top” for the right reasons. He’s been married to his wife Julia for as long as he can remember and has two lovely, wonderful children. He looks forward to sharing the latest in the technical best for all the online entrepreneurs.