HTML5: The impact it will have on SEO

HTML5 is by no means perfected and 100% rolled out to the web, but for those who are on the beginning of the curve for the law of diffusion of innovation, you’ll want to know this information!

HTML5 has evolved from the manner in which the web is growing and has adapted many new tags and codes to allow for further optimization in rankings by search engines.

I’m going to break down some of the new concepts in HTML5 that, for optimum search engine optimization, will be necessities in website coding going forward.

Due to HTML 5 being significantly similar to HTML 4, you shouldn’t worry too much about an insane amount of learning. One of the main features of HTML 5 is the improved page segmentation. As I mentioned, HTML 5 is a result of an improving web, and many new parts of websites need to be clearly defined. Items such as headers, sections, navigations, footers, etc. are all included.

The following are some of the new tags that HTML 5 will feature.

Section (<section>) tag: Sections on a website can now be easily identified via the <section> tag. Part of the methodology behind this tag is that each section can have a header tag and main content area. This allows for search engines to really see the importance of multiple sections on a page.

Header (<header>) tag: I’m sure you’ve heard of the <head> tag in the past, but I can assure you that they are going to be different. The new <header> tag is very similar to a headING tag such as <h1> and <h2>, except the <header> tag can contain a plethora of coding within it. Elements such as H1, H2, and H3 tags, paragraphs of text, and links can all be a part of a <header> tag, unlike a <head> or <h1> tag.

Footer (<footer>) tag: Much like the new header tag, the footer tag will clearly define the footer of a website, and will allow for an array of elements to be included. Over the last few years, footers have really increased in value, and we’re seeing much more content be displayed in a footer of a website than ever before. Content such as links, paragraphs of text for SEO, logos, and contact information can be neatly placed for quick and easy access by visitors.

Article (<article>) tag: Most SEO junkies know the importance of having an article repository or blog on a website. The new article tag will allow for search engines to clearly see where blog articles and news reports are located on a website, and will allow for the content within this tag to be weighed more heavily than normal paragraphs of text.

By weighing more heavily, it will give your content a better chance to be indexed higher than pages with paragraphs of static text, such as a who we are or about us page.

Nav <nav>) tag: One of the biggest changes over the last 3-4 years in websites is the way the navigation is displayed. Navigations are the links that make up the main pages of the website. It’s super important for search engines and visitors to be able to easily navigate your website.

One of the biggest changes seen in this was going from image only navigations to text navigations or images that had <h1> or <h2> tags behind it. The <nav> tag now lets you get creative with how and where you want to display your navigation, without worry that the search engines won’t be able to clearly label those links as your navigation.

Many other tags such as <audio>, <video>, and <dialogue> are a part of the new HTML 5 markup. These tags will dramatically help the search engines clearly label different areas of the website and will allow search engine bots to value different content areas.

Basch Solutions, LLC is a Rochester NY web design and web development company that has been learning and growing since the beginning of the web. While many companies sit on knowledge gained in the past, Basch Solutions strives to be an industry leader by staying on top of the absolute latest technologies available. Call us or shoot us a message today to inquire about what we could do for you and your company!

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