Any problem will occur for SEO if i use tables for html forms?

Question

I am finding tough to align the label and textboxes using Div's. If i use tables for forms, it will be easy. Does this affect my seo, or not?

Thank You all who answered this question!, Im decided to go with tables for forms.

Answer 1

I would go with the tables. In theory tables are shunned as part of an overall SEO strategy, but in practice this will make virtually no difference. Effective SEO strategies involve much more than just avoiding tables. In any case, tables are perfectly fine for structuring elements (especially ones that are tabular in nature - i.e. have rows and columns), though improving your CSS skills to use divs for presentation is worth spending some time on.

Answer 2

If your data is tabular then use a table its that simple, and this data can also include form elements.

Pages which have large forms on e.g. registrations page dont tend to be that inportant in the view of SEO anyway

Answer 3

The main advantage for DIV/CSS-based layouts over tables for SEO is the ability to more precisely control the placement of SEO-friendly text in the source file.

Image a three column layout with dynamic content in the center column, while largely static, SEO-neutral content like navigation and ads are placed in the other two columns. With a DIV/CSS layout you can place the HTML for the center column at the top of the page with the navigation and ad columns HTML coming after. Search engines will see the fresh, SEO-friendly center column content first, theoretically giving the site a rankings bump.

HTML forms aren't taken into consideration for SEO so feel free to use tables. Disabuse yourself of the "tables are bad for SEO" heuristic. It's not so much that tables are bad, but that in certain circumstances DIV/CSS can be better.

Answer 4

Yes. Search engines will blacklist you if you use a <table> tag. At Google, they keep their blacklist on a blackboard, and every three hours a developer will pick a name off the blacklist at random, and say it out loud in a weeny voice. Everyone laughs. It’s harsh.

Over at Bing, there’s a small unit of ex-Navy Seals and specially-trained attack dogs. These dogs can actually smell <table> tags, and the scent makes them extremely agitated. They travel the world in an unmarked van, with a live feed of Bing searches enabling them to work out the location of the <table>-using developers. Obviously, there are timing issues and the occasional mistaken identity incident, but overall it’s surprisingly effective.

At Yahoo, there’s just one guy, sitting in the corner, sobbing gently but constantly and hugging a dog-eared copy of Designing With Web Standards. He’s actually the only guy left at the entire company. You’re making him cry, every time you use a <table> tag. Stop it, and go give him a hug instead. He needs it.