We are using css. We have a div tag called "metadata" near the top of the source code page. We have some text on the page that we are trying to hide from the user but make obvious to the robot. It's not a big deal if people scroll to the text, there's just no way to get the look we want and have the text above the fold. The positioning and styling of this div is taken care of in a separate file called "xxxx.css".
Once this text is inside a div, it can be placed anywhere we want on the souce code page. So by placing this text in the top of the source, won't it get spidered pretty easily. We've also placed our sitemap info in this div. So, the sitemap info is in the top of the source, but WAY down on the page.
Does the robot read css files?
Is this method is a good way to write our source or could it be seen as spamming?
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Is it spam even if what we are putting just below the page is stuff that is very readable about the company, etc. We just want a very clean home page. The text is black text on a white background.
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i dont want to necissarily try to give an all encompassing definintion of spam, but if you are intended in showing the search engines something that you do not want visitors to see then it usually is considered spam.
if it is just visible text at the bottom of the page I do not think that would classify as spam.
After reading and thinking about it for an hour I thought I needed to clarify what I said. But, I think you got the point.
It's just text we prefered that not be the first thing seen. It does however have some terms and hyperlinks (like the sitemap) that we want the spider to see ASAP. Hence, put the text high up in the source and use css to position the text and the spider should read it even if it's the last thing on the page.
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as long as it's visible on the page, the positioning won't count as spamming.
it may not be the absolute most ethical thing in the word to do though. and at some point the spiders will start recognizing when something is "really" high up on the page as opposed to high up in the code.
I think when the search engines have evolved to the point they can put relavent content high up in their search and simultaneously let a designer have the flexability to create a site the way they (or their client) wants it will be the day people don't have to use these kinds of techniques. Yep techniques, not unethical spam, because, in our case, we are not presenting anything that isn't on the site. But, when the engines have written the code to create my perfect world there will be people really trying to trick them. That's just the way it is.
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Does anyone have any information to suggest that using a CSS website is less effective then a plain html multi page site for SEO purposes?
Makes no deference! and why should it? The more CSS the better for you but it is not a SEO issue!
You can keep a clean homepage and do just as well. Stick some content in the meta description tag so that text will show up Googles description and then stick 2-3 keywords that make a sentence in your title tag. Users will enter your site from any page found on SE not just your splash page. I have made many sussessful sites with splash pages like this.
This page probably won't be much help to the original poster but will help those who are reading this post looking for a way to have their page content appear before their left navigation http://www.delorie.com/web/ses-hint.html
It never will be 
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