Ordered vs unordered list markup — Google reads the difference

Ordered vs unordered list markup — Google reads the difference

Spotted this morning in a teardown: a 'best tools for X' page using <ol> kept losing the box to a rival on <ul> for the same intent.

The distinction we keep seeing confirmed:

— Numbered/ordered list box → sequence matters (steps, rankings, chronology). Use <ol>.
— Bulleted/unordered box → parallel items, no sequence (ingredients, features, options). Use <ul>.

Mismatch the markup to the intent and the extractor downgrades you. A non-ranked 'types of' query in an <ol> reads as a false sequence; reportedly Google quietly prefers the page whose list semantics match the question. Cheap fix, rarely audited. Watching this.