Does XHTML Boost Search Rank?

This subject has been the topic of much debate. Does the method you use to design web pages and way you code your web site effect where you rank on major search engines? From my experience, the answer would have to be yes and no. Let me explain. If your website is ranking relatively well on Google, perhaps the first page of search results, and is valid HTML then the answer is no. On the other hand, if your site is not ranking anywhere in the top five pages on Google and the HTML is a mess, then the answer is yes . While the major search engines have come a long way in terms of crawling web sites, they still reward sites that go the extra mile and conform to world wide web consortium standards.

More on this topic:

SEO and XHTML / HTML - A good article that explains things in business terms.
Accessible Websites and Search Marketing - An article that goes into more detail about making websites both valid and user friendly to people with disabilities.

Crafting Links for Website Usability

Found an interesting article that examines the design of links in terms of website usability. This article provides a good set of best practices for visual representation of a link.

Does this mean that we need to display all links as blue with underlines?

It really depends on your audience. A more contemporary group might find it more appealing to view links that follow a design theme. A more traditional group may find blue links and black text on a white background more appealing. Finding the right mix of each can be the key to designing for the right audience.

The Missing Link...

Will there come a time when link color will no longer have an effect? Probably not. Since many search engine results display links in one or more shades of blue, this has reinforced an international web standard for link color and will probably remain as such for some time to come.