How important is respecting the semantics of HTML?

Question

css

Why so many different HTML tags, visually almost the same? The visual look and feel of each can be customized with a div. And so any tag. That is, for the user, you can make a clear page design using just a couple of HTML tags. Then the rest of the tags are made for search bots?

Answer 1

Semantics brings order and organization to the code. Duplicates the logic of the arrangement of elements in html, for example, all sorts of footer and header. It's just that when you work, for example, with someone else's code, and you see divs endlessly nested inside each other, you have to spend a little more time searching for the desired element.

Answer 2

Each tag does its job. HTML has existed for more than one year, and not one version.
Yes, many tags are no longer relevant. No one forces you to use all the tags - use the ones that are more convenient for you) Whether to observe the semantics ... Well, someone observes, someone does not.

Answer 3

In addition to the above, semantics helps to better parse and analyze content for various applications, browsers, readers, and so on.
For example, various plugins a la "Reading Mode" better clear content from ads, sidebars, comments, and other non-core elements when the page is laid out taking into account semantic markup.