Using HTML5 semantic tags and Microdata can improve SEO because it helps search engines better understand page structure and content meaning. 1. Use HTML5 semantic tags such as

Many people ask how to use HTML5 semantic tags and Microdata to improve SEO. In fact, the key is to make search engines better understand your content. HTML5's semantic elements and Microdata can help crawlers identify page structure and content types, thereby increasing ranking potential.

Organize page structure using HTML5 semantic tags

In the past, people liked to build pages with a bunch of divs, but for search engines, this structure is very vague. HTML5 provides semantic tags such as <header></header> , <nav></nav> , <main></main> , <article></article> , <section></section> , <footer></footer> , which can clearly tell the search engine the role of each block.

for example:

• The navigation bar is wrapped in <nav></nav> , and the link is placed inside
• Main content is placed in <main></main> to avoid being interfered by sidebars or ads
• Use <article></article> for article content to facilitate search engines to crawl separately

Although doing this will not directly add points, it will help search engines build more accurate page models, especially for content extraction and summary display.

Add Microdata to mark the specific content and meaning

Microdata is a way to add structured data in HTML, which allows search engines to understand that the "actor" on your page is people, "iPhone 15" is products, "4.8/5" is rating, etc.

To give a simple example: If you want to mark the author and publication date of an article, you can write it like this:

 <article itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/BlogPosting">
  <h1 itemprop="headline">SEO optimization tips</h1>
  <span itemprop="author">Zhang San</span>
  <time itemprop="datePublished" datetime="2023-10-01">October 1, 2023</time>
</article>

In this way, Google can clearly know which blog post was written and when it was published. This is especially useful for rich snippets displays, such as rating stars, pictures, prices, etc. in search results.

Common application scenarios include:

• Price, inventory, and brand marked on the product page
• Address, phone number, and ratings are marked in restaurant information
• Video page labeling time, uploader, thumbnail

Pay attention to details to achieve maximum effect

While semantic tags and Microdata are useful, there are some things that are easy to overlook:

• Don't use the wrong tag: For example, <article></article> is suitable for independent content, while <section></section> is more favorable to chunked organization
• Avoid duplicate marks: using multiple schema types in one region at the same time, which is easy to confuse
• Test structured data: You can use Google's Rich Results test tool to check whether it is effective
• Stay updated: schema.org's criteria will change, and it is recommended to check regularly for new fields to be available

In addition, don’t expect Microdata to rise immediately. It is part of long-term optimization and needs to be used in conjunction with other SEO means.

Basically that's it. HTML5 and Microdata are not complicated, but are easily overlooked. Using them rationally not only helps search engines understand content, but also improves the maintainability and barrier-free experience of web pages.

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