DO search engines care about code validation?

In my life, I have hardcoded several HTML and PHP websites for myself and other friends. On top of that, I’ve also manipulated several scripts (Wordpress, ect) to suit my needs. One of the most important things to keep in mind (or so I thought) , was to validate my codes. When I switched to WordPress, changed the theme, and added all the plugins, unTECHy just couldn’t pass validation and it had me very worried. I have been pulling my hair out trying to fix all the coding issues only to find out that I may never get them all. I’ve always been taught that having valid code was part of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). But how important is it really? I’ve always had valid coding, and my websites, past and present, have never really ranked very well. I’ll assume it’s because the search engines have it out for me. Continue reading this post at my blog