When creating a web site in HTML it is important to remember that browser software such as Microsoft Internet Explorer™, Mozilla Firefox, Opera and others are capable of displaying web pages even if their code is not 100% compliant with the accepted standards for HTML as set down by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
So, whilst a page may look fine onscreen, it could be riddled with HTML errors causing serious obstacles for visiting search engine spiders trying to index the site.
HTML coding errors are especially common with WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) design programs such as Microsoft FrontPage™ or NetObjects Fusion and, since this type of software is often used by web designers with little or no experience of HTML, they can frequently go unnoticed and thus cause long-term damage to a site's search engine performance.
For those designers with only a minimal knowledge of HTML this can present an almost insurmountable problem since they cannot tell compliant code from its non-compliant counterpart.
But... help is at hand.
The W3C site includes a number of valuable tools designed to help web designers check their sites for any flaws and make the necessary corrections.
Amongst the most important of these are the HTML Validator and the Link Checker.
The HTML Validator detects and lists any coding errors present within a page and lists them in detail, thus enabling even designers with minimal HTML experience to make the necessary adjustments.
The Link Checker examines all links within the page both to other pages in the site and to images which are to be displayed onscreen.
Once again this enables the designer to pinpoint bad links or broken resources and take the required steps.
It should be noted that most quality web design programs have inbuilt link checking utilities which perform the same function, so a little reading up on your software can be of great help.
There is of course no substitute for taking some time out and actually learning the ins and outs of HTML, but with a little bit of common sense and the proper tools your site can be on the right track in no time.
