Strict html 1.0 and SEO

I'm a web developer. I'm using Strict HTML 1.0 and CSS as a point of differentiation from my competitors.

I've heard different opinions on if or if not Strict HTML 1.0 gives an advantage on SEO...

What are some of your opinions?

Mine is that it does give you an advantage, but it is just one aspect of the massive SEO formula.

IMO, having a valid page is good; but it may not help you in better search engine rankings.

The only "seo advantage" it gives you is in knowing that the spiders can read your pages correctly... (and of course the same thing applies to your visitors).

So - in other words - it isn't an "SEO advantage", but it does remove a potential "SEO disadvantage"!

Strict validation does not bring you any advantage SEO wise. Very few high ranking sites are strictly validated.

What will help your validation SEO wise is to go one step further and make sure you are validated and accessible. Much of the accessibility issues are covered by your strict validation. The accessibility (not the validation) does help you in the Google Accessibility SERPS (not to be confused with Google proper).

Read this:
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/finding-easy-to-read-web-content_20.html

Since these new algorithims were created specifically for the Google Accessible search, the logical conclusion we can make is that they do not exist in the algorithims for Google proper.