Using Tables for SEO

[stephengfm]

Is it bad for SEO to use Tables in arranging your website?

[HTMLBasicTutor]

It can be. Most people who use tables to layout a web page don't know how to get the bots to see your content before the navigation column down the left (if that is how you are laying out the page).

Read this to better understand what I am saying: HTML Tables and Search Engine Optimization

[searchbliss]

Tables should only be used for "tabular data".

[stephengfm]

Originally Posted by searchbliss

Tables should only be used for "tabular data".

Why? and Source as to why?

[HTMLBasicTutor]

Ok, let's not turn this into a tables verse div layout heated discussion. We have a thread over in Coding or Web Design for that discussion.

[HTMLBasicTutor]

Originally Posted by stephengfm

Why? and Source as to why?

Because tables were created to present data, not as a layout tool.

Over time web designers figured out they could be used to layout web pages. Initially HTML was limited as to how you could manipulate it for presentation. Web designers used tables to get past this.

Tables should not be used purely as a means to layout document content as this may present problems when rendering to non-visual media. Additionally, when used with graphics, these tables may force users to scroll horizontally to view a table designed on a system with a larger display. To minimize these problems, authors should use style sheets to control layout rather than tables.

Tables in HTML documents - HTML specification

[Greenbreez]

Here is a simple calculation why you should avoid tables in design.
Tables-Layout Tableless Layout +CSS File
Lines of code 523 179 482
File size 25.5KB 10.4KB 14.98KB
Lines of code for 100pages 52,300 17,900 18,382
File size for 100 pages 2550KB 1040KB 1044.58KB

[stephengfm]

Originally Posted by Greenbreez

Here is a simple calculation why you should avoid tables in design.
Tables-layout Tableless layout + CSS file
Lines of code 523 179 482
File size 25.5KB 10.4KB 14.98KB
100 pages:
Lines of code 52,300 17,900 18,382
100 pages:
File size 2550KB 1040KB 1044.58KB

In English?

[Greenbreez]

Originally Posted by stephengfm

In English?

Pages with table less have one third the file size of table design. So it is better to use table less design as it helps website quick loading time and it consumes space in server.