In relentless race to be at the top ranked page amongst various search engines is far simpler through CSS than tables in many ways. SEO optimization is again possible only when one follows the best practices while designing the site through CSS.

Here are some hints, which enable better SEO, your cheat-codes to achieve higher page ranks:

1. Smaller file size makes it easier for Search Engine Spiders to crawl through your website.

2. Less junk markup makes it easier for Search Engine Spiders to differentiate between html code and content. Ideally, try to keep more content than code, the best way to check it is by keeping a tap by viewing the source of your webpage through the browser.

3. Structural organization is greatly improved by using h1, h2, h3 tags ensuring that the Search Engine Spiders know what you’re trying to show them. Font tags cannot communicate a page title or header, even if the font size is larger. Either way, don’t forget to include important keywords relevant to your target audience (i.e. If you’re selling mobiles in a small town in California, use “Mobiles in Small Town, California” rather than “Mobiles”). In addition, if you’d like your h1 information to appear after your body tag (or near the top of the page’s code) but don’t necessary want the h1 information to be visually displayed at the top of the page, then CSS will allow you to using absolute positioning which gives the designer freedom to place the h1 information practically anywhere on the web page.

4. No more JavaScript rollover effects. CSS allows the designer to program a variety of rollover effects (images, text decorations, etc) that are defined within the CSS style sheet. This method allows the Search Engine Spiders to focus more on your website’s content rather than unnecessary JavaScript markup. If you’re looking for fancy, Flash-like rollover effects that combine CSS and Javascript resulting in graceful, lightweight rollover animations, then take a look at the latest that jQuery or mootools has to offer.

In a nutshell – if you’re at all concerned about SEO for your website, then use CSS instead of tables. The aforementioned points illustrate how even the most basic features that CSS has to offer can make a significant difference when optimizing your website for the search engines. Just say “NO” to table-based designs!