Should I Use Css Drop Down Menus

[Ahsaniqbalkmc 0]

I have some pages on my website (Human Anatomy) where there is a long list of links in the sidebar. I will give the example of the page "Basic Anatomy"(along with all its children) where you can see a huge list of links in the sidebar. Sometimes the content of the page is small and the sidebar is too long that it even roots below the main content, giving a very un-pleasent and non-professional look.
I want to make the sidebar a little smaller in size, although I cannot reduce the number of links. The best idea i can think of is a CSS drop down menu. In my case the menu will be "Side pop" instead of a typical drop down so that a group of links belonging to one category will pop at the side when user hovers the mouse over the category name. It sounds very nice and my website will get a good professional look with it however, there is a serious problem.
I was searching for the seo impacts of drop down menus, and unfortunately, I didn't get very positive results. Every website, every article I read, stated in one way or the other that drop down menus harm your SERP. The reasons given there included
1)links cluttered together in a short space might give the appearance of link farms to search engines.
2) Increased number of links per page would dilute the distribution of PR through the site.
3) Search engines don't like these menus

Now I have decided to wait a bit and research further on the implications of these menus, If they cannot bring me enough value, I am going to stick with the non-professional long list of links in the sidebar.
However, if I can find a solution that neither affects my SEO nor gives a non-professional look, I will be the happiest man on earth.
Please share your ideas with me.

[spdagent2 0]

I have some pages on my website (Human Anatomy) where there is a long list of links in the sidebar. I will give the example of the page "Basic Anatomy"(along with all its children) where you can see a huge list of links in the sidebar. Sometimes the content of the page is small and the sidebar is too long that it even roots below the main content, giving a very un-pleasent and non-professional look.

I want to make the sidebar a little smaller in size, although I cannot reduce the number of links. The best idea i can think of is a CSS drop down menu. In my case the menu will be "Side pop" instead of a typical drop down so that a group of links belonging to one category will pop at the side when user hovers the mouse over the category name. It sounds very nice and my website will get a good professional look with it however, there is a serious problem.

I was searching for the seo impacts of drop down menus, and unfortunately, I didn't get very positive results. Every website, every article I read, stated in one way or the other that drop down menus harm your SERP. The reasons given there included

1)links cluttered together in a short space might give the appearance of link farms to search engines.

2) Increased number of links per page would dilute the distribution of PR through the site.

3) Search engines don't like these menus

 

Now I have decided to wait a bit and research further on the implications of these menus, If they cannot bring me enough value, I am going to stick with the non-professional long list of links in the sidebar.

However, if I can find a solution that neither affects my SEO nor gives a non-professional look, I will be the happiest man on earth.

Please share your ideas with me.

I think you should have some menus on the top, which will come down when to move your mouse over them. If you don't get what I mean, visit my website here:

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/