SE: content order in source code vs. css (what people see)?

[nico-t]

It is known that for blogs, you want the dynamic post content being crawled first (=start of source code) and your static sidebar (with blogroll, categories etc.) last (=at least after the post content).


Here's the deal for a blog im making:

In the source code of the blog, the content column is first, then the sidebar.
The .css file turns it around so that the visitor sees the sidebar left and the content to the right.
But when you click source code, like i said, first there's the post content and then the sidebar.

I want to keep the layout how it looks with the left sidebar, so im wondering how in depth SE's look at css files? The content div has a float: right and the sidebar a float: left, and thats it. Will SE's look at this and decide that they index the sidebar first, and then the content? I personally find this hard to believe, since i think the hard coded source code is still way more important to SE's..... right? Experts, step inside!

[Serge Litehead]

there's no reason for SEs to look in .css but who knows..
check your web logs if spiderbots request .css files

[Tempest]

It is known that for blogs, you want the dynamic post content being crawled first (=start of source code) and your static sidebar (with blogroll, categories etc.) last (=at least after the post content).


Here's the deal for a blog im making:

In the source code of the blog, the content column is first, then the sidebar.
The .css file turns it around so that the visitor sees the sidebar left and the content to the right.
But when you click source code, like i said, first there's the post content and then the sidebar.

I want to keep the layout how it looks with the left sidebar, so im wondering how in depth SE's look at css files? The content div has a float: right and the sidebar a float: left, and thats it. Will SE's look at this and decide that they index the sidebar first, and then the content? I personally find this hard to believe, since i think the hard coded source code is still way more important to SE's..... right? Experts, step inside!

You're golden with things as is...

[Tempest]

there's no reason for SEs to look in .css but who knows..
check your web logs if spiderbots request .css files

I've never checked but I've always assumed that in this day and age that they would in order to catch hidden text and the like.

[nico-t]

hm ok. Here's an interesting read though: http://serpeo-seo.com/2010/03/08/doe...awl-css-files/

I wonder how thorough google crawls the css.

[nico-t]

I've never checked but I've always assumed that in this day and age that they would in order to catch hidden text and the like.

exactly what i was thinking and why i made this thread... i could be overthinking things though.... but better safe than sorry

[Serge Litehead]

if spider bots request .css files then there is something to think about
although i highly doubt it, spider bots on the backend essentially are text browsers, i would think it would be too much overhead for SE's to process relevancy based on design elements (css rules and positioning)