What is XHTML

As its name suggests, XHTML (considered the successor to HTML 4) is a blend of HTML and XML. By combining the power of XML and HTML, XHTML makes web content more accessible to devices such as phones, PDAs, and TVs. Here are some pointers on what XHTML is and how to consider it in your SEO strategy.

Difference between HTML and XHTML

The XHTML language is inspired by XML and HTML for the rigor in coding and to define the structure of information in Web pages using markers, called tags, each with a meaning (semantic markers). Compared to HTML, XHTML meets the following coding standards:

• Tags and their attributes are all written in lowercase.
• When an opening tag is used, it must be followed by a closing tag.
• The background, written in XHTML, is separated from the form coded in a formatting description file called CSS (Cascading Style Sheet).
• The web pages must contain declarations of type DOCTYPE, DOM etc.
• The values of the attributes are placed between double quotation marks.

It helps your SEO

The use of XHTML can have a positive impact on natural referencing. It follows the standards of this consortium and therefore facilitates the reading of sites for search engine robots. In addition to its rigor, XHTML is very much appreciated by the indexing robots and therefore by Google because the use of tags makes it possible to structure the pages and organize them in an efficient way.

How to take advantage

Exploit the title tag because its content is generally displayed as a clickable link by Google in search results. It must therefore summarize the content of the page in a concise and clear way. It is a criterion of relevance for search engine algorithms. Work on the title, the H1 title tag as a priority. The insertion of the main keyword is, for example, essential. Not only does it immediately grab the reader’s attention, but it also allows the indexing robots to “understand” the content’s theme. Also, insert secondary titles (H2, H3…) and integrate the main keyword or its variants.

Remember: After learning what XHTML is and its potential, you have a great opportunity  to approach the standards smoothly; capitalizing on their knowledge of HTML and helping to broaden your audience (all modern browsers, on all platforms).