The release of HTML5 has seen the introduction of several new semantic tags that provide even richer information to search engines. ... Search engines can put more weight on any content wrapped with this tag. It also helps to clean up the HTML code by reducing the use of <div> tags.

Should I use HTML5 semantic markup?

HTML5 semantic tags define the purpose of the element. By using semantic markup, you help the browser understand the meaning of the content instead of just displaying it. By providing this extra level of clarity, HTML5 semantic elements also help search engines to read the page and find the required information faster.

Is HTML5 better for SEO?

Using HTML5 semantic elements in your pages today will not give your content higher search engine rankings. ... Trivial use of semantic tags should never affect SEO rankings, and they certainly don't do so as of this writing.