# Blog body: `<strong>` and emphasis

**Last Updated:** 2026-03-21  
**Purpose:** Semantic use of `<strong>` in blog HTML—importance and structure, not decorative “keyword bolding.”

## Why this matters

- **HTML semantics (MDN / WHATWG):** [`<strong>`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/strong) marks **strong importance, seriousness, or urgency**. It is not a general-purpose bold style. Visual styling belongs in CSS; attention without semantic importance may use [`<b>`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/b) sparingly.
- **Accessibility:** Assistive technologies expose “strong” as meaningful. Very high density in running prose dilutes meaning (everything emphasized = nothing emphasized).
- **SEO:** There is no credible guidance that wrapping many keywords in `<strong>` improves rankings. Helpful content, clear headings, and natural language align with [CONTENT_WRITING_BEST_PRACTICES_2026.md](../CONTENT_WRITING_BEST_PRACTICES_2026.md).

## When to use `<strong>`

- **Term introduction** — First clear mention of the page’s core term in a section (once per section where it helps; not every repetition).
- **Structured labels** — Approved patterns from [CONTENT_DEPTH_GUIDELINES.md](CONTENT_DEPTH_GUIDELINES.md): e.g. glossary-style list items `<li><strong>Title:</strong> description…</li>`, table cells where the template uses bold row/ column labels, **Hinweis:** / **Wichtig:** in `blog-note` callouts.
- **Real urgency or caution** — Legal/compliance pitfalls, “nicht …” warnings—**sparingly**.

## When to avoid `<strong>`

- **Generic nouns** in continuous prose (“Personalabteilungen”, “Budgets”, “Ergebnisse”) unless the sentence meaning truly hinges on that emphasis.
- **SEO keyword painting** — Multiple related terms bolded in the same paragraph without a structural reason.
- **Alternatives:** Use **headings** for hierarchy, **links** for related entities, **lists and tables** for comparisons (see depth guidelines).

## Exceptions (do not “flatten”)

Patterns that **legitimately** use many `<strong>` tags—see [CONTENT_DEPTH_GUIDELINES.md](CONTENT_DEPTH_GUIDELINES.md):

- **Lists** with bold lead-in labels (`<li><strong>…</strong>`).
- **Tables** with bold first column or header cells.
- **`blog-note`** callouts with short bold labels.

Automated metrics that count only `<p>` blocks (or exclude tables/lists) help separate **prose** density from these **structured** uses. See [`docs/content/blog/reports/STRONG_TAG_AUDIT_2026-03-21.md`](reports/STRONG_TAG_AUDIT_2026-03-21.md) for corpus baselines.

## Remediation

- Prefer editing the working `content.html` under `docs/content/blog/posts/{category}/{slug}/`, then apply with `php v2/scripts/blog/update-post-content.php` — never raw JSON edits of body HTML. See [BLOG_CONTENT_EDIT_WORKFLOW.md](BLOG_CONTENT_EDIT_WORKFLOW.md).
- Optional helper: `scripts/blog/strip-decorative-strong-in-paragraphs.py` removes `<strong>` from `<p>` blocks (preserves `blog-note` wrappers); use only when editorial review confirms prose was over-bolded.

## Automation

- **Audit:** `python3 scripts/blog/audit-blog-strong-tags.py --csv … --md …`
- **Warn-only check:** `php v2/scripts/blog/validate-strong-density.php --post=slug --category=lexikon`