Sunday, September 30, 2012

Why Google Loves CSS and Why You Should Too

CSS (cascading style sheets) is a language designed to store HTML or XHTML details. In simple terms, it distinguishes the document content (in HTML or another language) from the presentation made in CSS. Images and text are made distinct from fonts, colour and layout.



Why CSS is good for Google


The first reason is you can conceal certain areas of the site but allow Google to still pick it up. Second, you have more control over the page. The third reason is CSS reduces file sizes.


Google Likes Small Sites


CSS removes the styles from HTML and places them in a style sheet that is standalone. This translates to fewer HTML codes. This is good news for website developers because Google and other search engines prefer small pages. There is no maximum web page sized recommended by search engines. However, 100kb size per page is ideal.


Making it less is even better. With CSS, you can keep the file size manageable without sacrificing quality. Cascading style sheets allows you to create beautiful web pages without bloating the file size. A lighter web page certainly makes it more appealing for users.


Better Page Management


This is another reason why CSS is good for Google. Pages can adhere to HTML standards without looking dull. This isn’t just a question of aesthetics; search engines actually prefer websites that are well designed. Without CSS, you will not be able to create a beautiful site without loading lots of code.


Conceal Content


CSS also lets you hide page material from browsers. For instance, you may want page navigation to be visible onscreen only and not be printable. Or you may want something to be only print-only. Whatever your reasons are, search engines will still be able to pick them up. You will still receive the benefits from the content while keeping it hidden.


A Consistent Look


But cascading style sheets is not just for Google. It also makes things easier for web designers. Any change you make on the CSS appears on every page. It gives your website a more consistent appearance. It also saves you editing time.

Cost Saver


The reduction in file size can save you bandwidth charges. If your service provider charges you by the size, the megabytes you save with CSS can be substantial. CSS documents are stored externally. Access is one time, when a user asks for your site. This is beneficial to web users, the website creator and search engines.


Clean Coding and Other Benefits


Another reason why search engines like CSS is it makes websites easier to decipher. Search engines usually rank clean code websites higher. The reason is not just due to readability. There is extra space for users to add quality content instead of codes.


There is another upside; CSS goes a long ways towards ensuring your website’s compatibility with the numerous browsers out there. Cascading style sheets permit you to use the same markup page in various ways. This allows you to make new style sheets for a mobile device or one for prints.


Now that you know why CSS is good for Google, you should start using it. All the popular browsers support it, and the advantages it offers a web designer is too important to be ignored. It’s true that CSS requires a lot of study. But the time you put in can be considered as an investment.


Bob is a free lancer writer and content builder of www.iaskd.com/  and has written many useful genuine articles.

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