Is moving the header down really a good idea?

[Luxus]

If you don't know what I mean, disable stylesheets in your browser to see the site stripped from css and javascript. The header is actually located down there beneth the content container and just up from the footer. xenforo is using a CSS trick to move the header to the top. It's the only forum system that does that as far as I know. So search spiders will see the breadcrumbs first, then the title of the forum and then the forums. The header is placed after the bottom breadcrumbs. For me this is an issue because I have a CMS and am using the tabs in the navigation for quick access to categories. But if the categories are located way down they get a lower priority from the search spiders as far as I know.

I understand this may not be an issue with forum only sites, but wouldn't this make xenforo SEO-wise kinda less suitable for CMS integrations?

 

[HWS]

XenForo is just not a CMS.

For a FORUM the idea is brilliant, because the most important content (the threads, posts, etc.) are loaded first to let visitors start reading even before the header (with it's sometimes very heavy graphics) is loaded.

This may not make a lot of a difference at a small site, but for a large, very busy site this is a must. It is one of a few reasons we decided to use XenForo. We had a similar approach at our old vb forum, but it was very difficult to create and update.

 

[Luxus]

Yeah, it may not be an issue with forum only sites. But what if you use a CMS and don't want your categories be downgraded in your forum?

 

[psTubble27]

Consider adding the category tabs under or above the breadcrumbs. In other words, modify the templates, set up a div for your categories, and disassociate it from the Header, so that you can move it wherever you want (i.e. above the breadcrumbs).

It might take some work but isn't impossible.