The web is ALL ABOUT semantics, and if you're just using styled divs around paragraphs, sure, it'll validate, but not a search engine in the world will understand your site.
I did a little bit of research after you posted this, and while it wasn't totally conclusive it sounds like there might be something to this. That said, I think it's unfortunate search engines work this way because very few people actually adopt this sort of structuring properly anyway.
In my opinion, Google should look at the content, not the tags. The vast majority of people create web pages use tags as styling tools, not content markers. I really feel the most critical issues are well-formedness and correct use of properties.
by Scott Stevenson — Jan 17
I did a little bit of research after you posted this, and while it wasn't totally conclusive it sounds like there might be something to this. That said, I think it's unfortunate search engines work this way because very few people actually adopt this sort of structuring properly anyway.
In my opinion, Google should look at the content, not the tags. The vast majority of people create web pages use tags as styling tools, not content markers. I really feel the most critical issues are well-formedness and correct use of properties.