Some info on Google (and Bing sometimes) and its search engine, gleaned here and there unofficially these past few days, with this week’s program some answers to these frightening questions: The fact that a page is valid in the sense Is W3C a good point for a better ranking? How does the Page Layout filter work? When should a 302 (temporary) and / or a 301 (final d) redirect be used?
Here is a small compilation of information provided by official Google spokespersons in recent days on various informal networks (Twitter, Hangouts, forums, conferences, etc.). So gossips (rumor) + Google = Goossips
The communication of the search engine being sometimes more or less subject to a deposit, we indicate, in the lines below, the level of confidence (rate of reliability) that we grant the information provided by Google (from 1 to 3 stars, 3 stars representing the maximum confidence rate) – and not the source who speaks about it.
| W3C validation |
| John Mueller explained during a hangout that the W3C validation of a web page had no impact on the search results of the engine, but that this tool could be interesting for other subjects such as accessibility ( reading of a page by handicapped s) for example. |
| Source: Search Engine Journal |
Reliability rate:   |
 Google has already said it many times (but we often ask me the same questions ud83dude42): a 100% valid W3C page will not be better classified, an invalid W3C page will not be less classified. However, the validator can sometimes detect large errors, such as an open and not closed Hn tag, etc. that could have an impact in SEO. |
| Layout page |
| John Mueller explained on Twitter how the Page Layout filter, launched in 2012, works: above all, it is to penalize the sites for which advertising invades the area above the fold (or above the fold: ce which is displayed in the browser before scrolling) so much so that it becomes difficult to see the editorial content in itself, and sometimes to distinguish it from advertisements. It is not a number of advertising proper, but above all the space occupied by it at the expense of editorial content. |
| Source: Search Engine Journal |
Reliability rate:   |
 This is actually how the Page Layout filter works. That said, when we see some sites that are nevertheless well classified, we say that this filter still requires some adjustments … |
| 302 redirects |
| Fabrice Canel (Bing) indicated on Twitter that it is possible to use 302 redirects if the temporary cu00f4t did not last 2 days. Beyond this limit, it is better to use 301 redirects. Fr d ric Dubut (Bing) provided additional information explaining that the frequency of change can play: if the URL changes every 3 days, a 302 remains valid. |
| Source: Search Engine Roundtable |
Reliability rate:   |
 We are more strict in our recommendations: for us, the time limit for using a 302 is a few hours at most. Beyond that, the 301 becomes mandatory in our eyes, with the bool of the frequency of modification that can play … |
Goossips: W3C validation, Page Layout, Redirects 302. Image source: Google
