Google's John Mueller advises using semantic HTML. Though not a ranking factor, it helps search engines understand content and boosts accessibility. Semantic HTML gives meaning and structure to ...

Semantic HTML makes it clear to search engines exactly where the content you want to be indexed is on a webpage, which is why it should be considered for both SEO and website accessibility.

His current project, the Semantic Web, is an attempt to carry Web ... to get people to comply with the standards we have already. HTML, in particular, has a troubled past. The headaches began ...