HTML Validation to W3C Standards
HTML Validation to W3C Standards is a tactic we often use in highly competitive markets when this factor has not already been addressed. Just through validation we have been able to see websites take majors forward jumps in the SERPS.
It can be very easy and only a few days work to optimize this factor on your website. Try to pick the newest standard you can, without picking one that will break your website.
For instance, this site uses the HTML5 standard. At the time we implemented this, there were still major problems with the browsers interpreting this standard. We had some major trouble keeping things lined up and validating at the same time.
Some simple things you can try before you get a major headache here, is just to make sure you have a standard that coincides with your html, and also make sure you have the correct character type. We have seen 100's of errors on a webpage, and just by simply correcting the character type line had that number drop into low double digits.
Another common problem we have seen, is using tags like <br> instead of the new compliant standard of <br />.
Yet another often seen mistake is to use CAPITAL letters in the HTML code. Instead, use lowercase letter and you will often see a big decrease in errors.
You can optimize this procedure by using text replacement tools. There is one built into Dreamweaver for instance, it will allow you to do a site wide find and replace if you have your website setup properly withing Dreamweaver. But be very careful and be sure to back up your whole site before you do this.
Just today, I saw a nice little plugin for Notepad++ that does just this. However, I have always used a tool called Useful File Utilities instead, and I will soon see if the Notepad++ plugin can and will replace the need for Useful File Utilities.
If you are working with a database driven website, then you will need to use an SQL query to update all the instances of a certain validation error. Or if you are really brave, you can export the whole database into an SQL file, and use a plain text editor again Notepad++ would be a good option, then open the SQL file and simple do a find replace on your whole exported database. When done, simply import the whole file, and pray that you didn't mess anything up. Always be sure to back up your database whenever you modify it in any significant way to make sure you have a good copy to restore if you need to.
When you are done validating your page, why not support the W3C with a nice little link to the validator like we have in the lower right corner of this page. There may or may not be a few lines of code in Google's algorithm that rewards such a link. I don't like to take chances, Google does ask if you ever started a non-profit in there application process, so I can imagine them building rewards for supporting such projects into there ever expanding lines of algorithmic code.
16% very minimal importance
9.3% moderate consensus
