+45 53 83 87 01Markup Validation is the process of checking a webpage’s code against a set of standards to ensure that it is correctly structured and conforms to the syntax rules of the specified type of markup language, such as HTML or XHTML.
It is an essential aspect of technical SEO as it can significantly influence a website’s ability to be efficiently crawled and indexed by search engines.
Use in SEO:
In the context of SEO, markup validation helps ensure that search engine bots can easily parse and understand the content of a website. Validated code contributes to better search engine rankings as it facilitates the proper rendering and indexing of web pages. It also helps in identifying coding errors that may affect a site’s performance and user experience. Improper or obsolete code can lead to display issues across different browsers and devices, which in turn can harm the site’s usability and search engine ranking potential.
Practical application:
To validate a website’s markup, SEO professionals can use tools like the W3C Markup Validation Service. This online tool checks the markup of web documents in HTML, XHTML, SMIL, and other markup languages. Upon running a validation test, the tool identifies any errors or issues with the code that need to be rectified.
Best practices:
- Regularly use markup validators to check for and correct markup errors.
- Ensure that all webpages comply with the latest web standards and recommendations set forth by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
- Incorporate clean, well-structured, and semantic code to improve page loading times and accessibility.
- Validate both HTML and CSS, as both can impact how content is displayed and accessed by search engines.
- Address warnings and errors reported by validators, prioritizing those that have a direct impact on the user experience and crawlability.
Benefits:
- Improved page rendering across browsers and devices.
- Enhanced site accessibility, making content more available to users with disabilities.
- Increased likelihood of better search engine rankings due to clean and compliant code.
- Elimination of issues that could impede search engine crawling and indexing.
Note: While markup validation is important for SEO, it’s not the only factor search engines consider in ranking websites. In some cases, minor validation errors may have negligible effects on SEO. However, best practices involve striving for clean and valid code in the interest of overall website quality and user experience.
