| CSS or cascading style sheets are used | | | | images are present on the actual page |
| to create a set of styles that can be | | | | when they are really embedded right into |
| applied to your fonts, tables and most | | | | your cascading style sheet. Lets take |
| other attributes of your web page. These | | | | the rollover button effect one step |
| styles allow you to create a much | | | | further. Suppose you want to manipulate |
| cleaner, faster web page that search | | | | your web page code in a way that your |
| engines love and also makes life much | | | | relevant keyword phrase(s) appear at the |
| easier on the designer when global | | | | top of the page. With CSS, you have the |
| changes to these styles need to be | | | | ability to do this with ease. CSS allows |
| applied. It is also always critical to | | | | you not only to adjust font and color |
| always keep in mind your target audience | | | | attributes, but you can also adjust the |
| and the average internet connection | | | | spacing and alignment of certain |
| speed these users have. By using styles | | | | elements on your web page. So with this |
| sheets to their full advantage, you can | | | | in mind, creating your table structure |
| help keep your web page size down to a | | | | usingtags allows you to layout your page |
| minimum. | | | | in a way that the search engine spiders |
| When you sit down to think about the | | | | see your important, relevant keyword |
| sitemap and the navigational structure | | | | phrase(s) ahead of your tables and |
| of your website, you should consider | | | | images. The next step is to incorporate |
| using cascading style sheets wherever | | | | your cascading style sheet so you can |
| possible. This includes everything from | | | | still use a header designed using |
| your text attributes to your table | | | | graphics, while placing your important |
| padding. Each page you create should be | | | | keyword phrase(s) at the top of your web |
| tailored around one or two keyword | | | | page which search engines love. In your |
| phrases in order to maximize the | | | | style sheet, add these two styles: |
| relevancy of the content being displayed | | | | #header{ width: 373px; height: 53px; |
| to the various internet browsers surfing | | | | background-image: url(header.gif); |
| your website. Using this technique | | | | background-repeat: no-repeat; color: |
| allows you to have a web page which, in | | | | f7f7f7; }h1{ text-indent: -100em; |
| the search engines spiders view, only | | | | margin:0px,0px,0px,0px; } |
| contains html and keyword rich text. | | | | As you can see, in the #header style, we |
| Let's use an example to illustrate the | | | | have included the dimensions of the |
| power and capability of cascading style | | | | image along with including the image you |
| sheets. | | | | want to serve as your header as the |
| Graphic Buttons with Rollover: In the | | | | background for this style. Make sure you |
| past we created rollover buttons using | | | | input the correct dimensions for the |
| graphics programs like Adobe Photoshop | | | | header image. This needs to be accurate |
| and/or Macromedia Fireworks, and | | | | as the style sheet will only display |
| embedded them on our web page with all | | | | what can fit in the outlined dimensions |
| the unfriendly code that is needed for | | | | and will also affect the spacing of your |
| the rollover effect. The problem with | | | | tables and web page. On the h1 style, we |
| doing this can be two-fold. First, | | | | have indicated we do not want the text |
| search engines prefer text links because | | | | visible on the web page, rather the |
| text is always optimal and you can also | | | | header image we created which is |
| put your desired keywords in the text of | | | | contained in the #header style. We are |
| the link, which can help boost your | | | | able to do this by using the |
| rankings. Images are also seen as | | | | text-indent: -100em attribute of the h1 |
| inferior to html, since search engine | | | | style. You also want to include the |
| spiders are not able to scan images as | | | | margin attribute so you avoid any |
| effectively as plain text. When you | | | | unwanted spacing underneath the text |
| create navigation with graphical | | | | contained in thetag. Then, on your |
| buttons, you lose out on both of these | | | | actual web page, put your keywords at |
| benefits and risk having some of your | | | | the top of the page in antag and include |
| web pages not indexed by the search | | | | the #header style. This is what your |
| engine spiders. This is why | | | | code should look like for the text you |
| well-optimized web pages have text links | | | | are trying to display as anwhile |
| at the bottom of the page; text makes it | | | | displaying only the header graphic. ( |
| easier for search engines to spider your | | | | YOUR IMPORTANT KEYWORD PHRASE |
| site and compensate for the primary | | | | ). This can give you a HUGE advantage |
| navigation menu. | | | | when trying to optimize a website for a |
| CSS allows you to create these buttons | | | | very competitive category and achieve |
| without having any images visible on | | | | top 10 search engine rankings by making |
| your html code (which is where search | | | | your keywords visible right at the top |
| engines spider). Furthermore, you can | | | | of the page, in antag, while actually |
| embed your desired keyword phrase(s) as | | | | displaying a nice header graphic to the |
| the text for your links. Try these steps | | | | person browsing your website. Although |
| and you will see how easy it is to | | | | many changes have occurred in the last |
| simulate the rollover button effect, how | | | | few weeks in terms of Yahoo! adopting |
| much more effective your web site will | | | | their own search engine spider and |
| be for the desired targeted keywords and | | | | listings, Google making the switch to |
| how much faster your web page will be to | | | | geo targeting and the ever growing |
| load. | | | | importance in maintaining quality, theme |
| Your CSS Code: In CSS you have the | | | | related link partners, the placement of |
| ability to create a background image on | | | | your keywords is still an important |
| a particular style. Create your table | | | | factor in adding to your search engine |
| with an individual cell for each link. | | | | optimization and ranking success. |
| In your CSS styles, you need to update | | | | Another good practice when designing web |
| the a:link and a:hover styles. For the | | | | pages using CSS is to make sure your web |
| a:link, make the graphic you have | | | | page conforms to W3 standards for both |
| created to act as your button and/or the | | | | HTML and CSS. This is critical in |
| background image for that style. Then | | | | ensuring your website works across all |
| update the font attributes so the text | | | | platforms and browsers and also helps to |
| will be visible on top of the background | | | | ensure ALL search engine spiders can |
| image. On the a:hover style, put the | | | | index your site easily and effectively. |
| over state of the button as the | | | | There really is nothing worse then |
| background of that style and update the | | | | directing a few hundred hits per day in |
| font attributes so you can see the text | | | | search engine traffic and having 50% of |
| on the page. This is what your actual | | | | those people unable to view your website |
| CSS code should look like for the a:link | | | | because of poor coding, corrupted style |
| and a:hover styles:a:link{ font-family: | | | | sheets or broken links. Always test your |
| Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; | | | | web site and have a friend navigate |
| font-style: normal; font-variant: | | | | through your website both on a MAC and |
| normal; text-decoration: underline; | | | | PC to ensure there are in fact no broken |
| color: #000000; font-weight: bold; | | | | links and all pages are easily |
| width: 175px; height: 100px; | | | | accessible and error free. |
| background-image: url(images | | | | The power of cascading style sheets is |
| home-button.gif); background-repeat: | | | | incredible. The above example only |
| no-repeat; }a:hover{ font-family: | | | | scratches the surface of how much you |
| Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; | | | | can do for your page in terms of |
| font-style: normal; font-variant: | | | | accessibility, functionality, speed and |
| normal; text-decoration: underline; | | | | clean html. You can adjust your |
| color: #006699; font-weight: bold; | | | | scrollbar, background image, and even |
| width: 175px; height: 100px; | | | | the padding of your tables all in your |
| background-image: url(images | | | | style sheet. The only key is that you |
| home-button-over.gif); | | | | create an external css and link it from |
| background-repeat: no-repeat; } | | | | the web page using those styles file ( |
| This effect creates the perception of a | | | | ). This way, you don't add any |
| rollover image. To site visitors, it | | | | cumbersome code on your page that will |
| will appear to be a regular rollover | | | | risk confusing the search engine spiders |
| button created out of two graphics. The | | | | and use CSS to its full advantage. |
| only difference is your cascading style | | | | By adjusting all these attributes in an |
| sheet contains the images for both | | | | externally linked css file, you are |
| states of the link. This way when search | | | | keeping your web page small in physical |
| engine spiders visit your website, they | | | | size along with ensuring good clean html |
| will only see clean html code - without | | | | code which as we have mentioned above, |
| any images used for navigation - and | | | | search engine spiders love! As well, css |
| your keyword-rich text. As well, your | | | | makes life MUCH easier on the web |
| web page should load much faster and be | | | | designer when future updates need to be |
| compatible with anyone still using an | | | | made. It is far more efficient to manage |
| old dial-up connection. | | | | a website using cascading style sheets |
| CSS Above and Beyond: With cascading | | | | then one that contains good old font |
| style sheets, as outlined above, you can | | | | tags. |
| create the perception to the user that | | | | |