A Detailed Analysis of Semantic HTML and Ways to Use It

HTML is basically HyperText Markup Language that determines how your documents will be displayed in the web browser. It gives us a comprehensive understanding of the content and defines what the topic is all about. 

So, HTML is basically a label associated with the content that indicates what that content actually is.

Now, HTML tags are quite a significant technical aspect in the SEO arena since they clearly add optimization value to your website, especially if they are semantic HTML elements.

Yes, SEMANTIC! 

The name itself throws an adrenaline rush into your body. So, you must know what semantic HTML means and how it impacts the SEO of your website. 

Let’s find out some more about it.  

What Is Semantic HTML? Categories of HTML Semantic Tags

Before we understand the technical details of HTML, let’s try to understand this in layman’s language.

If a DOG is being said DOG and a CAT is being said CAT, then you are in a semantic line of communication; meanwhile, if a DOG is called as CAT and a CAT is called as DOG, then you are in a non-semantic line of communication. 

So, basically, you can draw a conclusion that in SEO ground, the semantic HTML elements are well-written HTML. 

The elements encapsulating the content clearly define the content. There would be a clear line of communication between the developer and the browser. 

This gives us the idea that Semantic HTML is a tag that exactly defines the meaning of content that it actually has. It communicates the meaning of the content elements to both machines and humans synonymously, which helps browsers, search engines, associated technologies, and human developers perceive the components of the web page.

Now, since semantic tags describe different parts of a webpage, they can be bifurcated into two basic categories.

1. HTML Semantic Elements for Structure
2. HTML Semantic Tags for Text

HTML Semantic Tags for Structure

This tag communicates about the structural layout of the pages. They are often known as semantic HTML5 tags or semantic HTML5 elements.

Here’s a full list of HTML semantic structures: 

1. <header>: It defines the introductory information of the web page or content. 
2. <nav>: This tag is applied to the navigation links of the web page. 
3. <main>: This encapsulates the main content of the page. 
4. <article>: The article tag defines the independent content of the page. 
5. <section>: The section tag is for grouping close content with identical themes. 
6. <aside>: This tag defines the less significant content. 
7. <footer>: This tag is for the information at the bottom of the page.

HTML Semantic Tags for Text

The semantic HTML tags for text are those tags that—besides the formatting—also convey the semantic function of the text they contain.

Here are some of the most common examples:

1. <h1> (heading): The H1 tag marks the main heading at the top of the page. 
2. <h2> to <h6> (subheadings): H2 to H6 marks the subheadings as per their order. 
3. <p> (paragraph): This tag stands for a standalone paragraph of the page. 
4. <a> (anchor): This is used to mark a hyperlink
5. <ol> (ordered list): This is for a list of items in chronological order. 
6. <ul> (unordered list): This is for a list of items that are not required to be kept in order. 
7. <q> / <blockquote>: This tag is used to place the quotation of text. 
8. <em> (emphasis): This depicts the emphasized texts of the site. 
9. <strong> (strong emphasis): This is also for strongly emphasized texts
10. <code>: This tag is a block panel of computer code. 

Know the End-to-End Utility of Semantic HTML Tags

Apart from the easy reading and understanding, there are more detailed reasons for using Semantic HTML tags.

Let’s explore a few of them. 

Better Accessibility

A visually apparent content would be more accessible to the browser and developer as well. The readers are able to understand the content because it is demonstrated as it is. As we discussed earlier, when things are represented as they are, they become more accessible.  

Search Engine Optimization

Next comes SEO. 

Semantic HTML tags are very significant for SEO. They inform Google crawl bots about the context of the content and offer a better understanding of it. 

It is pretty understandable that the more content is accessible, the more will be their relevance through the perspective of search engine optimization. 

Browser Compatibility

HTML semantic elements also ensure with conviction that your code can be integrated with technologies in the upcoming days. This is because each web browser interacts differently with different semantic elements in HTML; they make it simple to utilize more extensive coverage of your website across platforms.

Learn the Best Tips and Practices of Semantic HTML

After knowing the utility of HTML semantic markup, let’s learn some of the best practices associated with it. 

Refrain from Using Semantic HTML for Styling

One of the best suggestions given by any SEO consultant is not to use HTML semantic markup for styling purposes. 

Basically, there is no hard and fast rule, but you should not use it every now and then purely for stylistic purposes.

Some best examples are:

1. Using a <h1> to <h6> tag for a text which is not a heading with the purpose of changing its font size
2. Using <blockquote> just to indent text that is not a quotation
3. Using <strong> or <em> just to add bold or italics to text that doesn’t need emphasis.

Place the Heading Tags with Semantics Pattern

Follow the right heading chronology while managing the semantic tags in HTML. 

For example, H1 should be followed by H2 and then H3. This will make the content comprehensive for both readers and search engines. 

You can use RankWatch’s Site Audit tool to recognize issues with H1 headings, other HTML parameters, or on-page SEO problems your site might be suffering from. 

And how to use it?

Log in to RankWatch. Set the website URL as the new project, and click on the site auditor section. 

Within seconds, the AI-driven tool will offer you insights like multiple H1 tags, pages with maximum HTML size, the respective page depth, and their indexing issues.

Other than this, you also get issues with HTML verticals like non-HTML URLs, no-index pages, failed URLs, and a lot more.

All the issues existing over there sum up to give you an automated site score. You just have to work on these site problems, resolve them, and improve the performance of your website. 

Don’t Copy Paste the Visual Layout

Your HTML implementation shouldn’t be a mere duplicity of the visual layout. Instead, it should follow the semantic structure of the page. A good semantic structure will certainly make your content more discoverable on the internet. 

Wrapping Up: The Final Discussion!

So, here we have made an end-to-end discussion of semantic HTML, their categories, utility, and best practices to implement them. We also got to know the use of a digital marketing platform for the complete recognition and utility of semantic HTML.

Hope this blog is useful to you and has offered you all the necessary insights on semantic HTML.

Cheers!