Headings: what they are and how to use them for articles
It is a good practice borrowed from old print journalism, and before that from books and academic works: facilitate reading by creating well-structured pages with headings and subheadings. This teaching still applies today in the world of digital marketing and SEO, and headings play a crucial role in organizing web content and also in search engine optimization. Using tags like h1, h2 and h3 correctly can make the difference between a page that gets read and one that scares the reader with a wall of words, and in general the strategic use of headings can improve the structure, relevance and readability of our content.
What are headings
Headings are HTML elements that define the titles and subtitles of a web page.
They are the textual elements with which we visually and semantically indicate headings, through which we can set the architecture and organization of the text of a page, thus also influencing the reading and understanding of the content for both users and search engines.
Heading therefore means more than just “title” or “subtitle”-it represents a fundamental element in defining the hierarchy and structure of a web page. In practice, they are the tools with which we can define and describe the various topics and subtopics we cover within the content.
The official definition and explanations
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the international standards-setting organization for the Web, describes headings as follows: “HTML defines six levels of headings. A heading element implies all font changes, paragraph breaks before and after, and any white space needed to render the heading. The header elements are h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, and h6 with h1 as the highest (or most important) level and h6 the least important. Headers play a similar role to lists in document structuring, and it is common to number them or include an image that acts as a bullet in lists.”
Small technical note: Although HTML tags are case-insensitive according to older specifications, under modern conventions and W3C best practices heading elements are written with lowercase initials-and thus h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, and h6, with no capitalization. This practice ensures that the code conforms to HTML standards and reduces the possibility of compatibility errors. Using H1, H2, H3 (capitalized) might work in many cases, but it is at odds with modern conventions and can create compatibility problems in some contexts or with certain HTML parsers.
Another small note: Sometimes these elements are also called header tags, but in a slightly improper way. Header tags can in fact refer both to headings (h1, h2, etc.) and to page header elements (headers), which represent the top of a web page where the logo, navigation menu, and other general information may be located: it is therefore a more ambiguous term that could be confusing.
How many and what are the headings
The HTML language with which web pages are coded thus defines six levels of headings, introduced by the letter h, which is the initial of heading, precisely.
This means that to organize the contents of a web page we have at our disposal and can use tags h1, h2, h3, but also h4, h5 and h6. The progressive number makes it clear that these HTML tags have hierarchical ordering: so h1 is the highest level and h6 the least important.
Classically, the h1 element is associated with the title of the piece appearing on the page, which is thus the main title of a page, while h2 is used as a subtitle for paragraphs and sections along with h3 and possibly h4; h5 and h6, on the other hand, are rarely used, but they can be helpful in formatting very long articles.
Sites and books: the analogy for understanding what headings are
To understand these aspects more immediately, we can refer to a well-known similarity with the structure of a book. A web page can be compared precisely to a book, which has a unique and unambiguous title (the h1 tag), is divided into chapters (the h2 tags) that in turn can be declined into sub-chapters (h3, h4 and so on). All of this is done in an organized and orderly way to make reading easier and to enable people not to get lost among the pages.
What are h1, h2 and h3 (up to h6) and what they mean
Each tag has a specific purpose and hierarchical position, therefore, and also has its own “rules.”
The h1 tag is the main title of a web page: it must be unique for each page and represents the main topic of the content. The meaning of h1 is clear: it tells users and search engines what the central theme of the document is. It is essential that the content of this tag be concise, relevant, and keyword-rich, and it is good SEO practice to differentiate h1 and title tags.
The h2 tag is the subtitle that divides the content into main sections: it allows the text to be organized into thematic blocks, making it easier to read and understand. Each h2 should reflect a key area of the topic that deserves a separate section. Each section under an h2 may contain additional subsections identified by h3 tags.
The third heading level, in fact, serves precisely to further subdivide the sections created by an h2: it represents a next level of detail, useful for structuring the page content in even more detail, to give depth to the information and make it easier to read. The h3s help to further break the content into more specific parts, allowing readers to easily find information they are interested in.
The h4 header can be used to introduce specific sub-subheadings following an h3 section-this level of detail is particularly useful for technical articles or detailed guides that require in-depth breakdown of content.
H5 and h6 are less commonly used, but no less important: they are ideal for very specific information or insights that need to be clearly distinguished within an h4 section.
Using all of these lower-level headings allows the content to be organized in a detailed and easily navigable manner, improving user experience and relevance to search engines.
What headings are for: meaning and importance
Understanding and effectively using the hierarchy of heading tags on the page is critical to maintaining a logical and clear structure, both for visitors and for search engines: h1, h2 and h3 headings not only organize content, but can also play a key role in search engine optimization.
Modern SEO copywriting is a mix of analysis, on-page SEO skills, keyword research skills, and creativity, as we often say, and writing SEO today is not just about focusing on keywords to try to intercept search engine liking, but about taking a number of strategic user-centered actions, even if they do not have a direct effect on ranking.
With this in mind, heading and paragraph management is definitely an important element in improving readability and usability of the article, because it helps search engines better understand the content of the page and provides users with easier and more intuitive navigation.
Readability and usability of articles for both users and bots, in short: these are the two positive effects of effective use of headings, which are useful because they help readers and Googlebots to quickly understand, at a glance, the focus of that paragraph and section of content.
More specifically, we can say that headings are critical for navigating on-page content, and similarly, a conscious use of the heading hierarchy allows us to better and earlier communicate the content of a page and the way ideas are grouped, thus making it easier for users (and search engines) to navigate, understand, and interpret the information and the page itself.
Simply put, header tags thus function as indicators used in HTML code to help structure the Web site or individual page in a way that allows Google and human users to read and understand the content.
Thus, this is not explicitly about SEO, but rather about the basic rules of content writing and management, as well as common sense. And one only has to look at a text with well-organized heading tags and one instead not formatted in paragraphs to immediately realize the difference, especially in terms of usability: even with the same amount of information, text without subdivision (and without graphic variety) will always appear as a “brick,” a single block of complex reading.
SEO heading, the value of headings
To understand the value of headings, we can refer to the old functioning of print newspapers, where headings had the most important part of any article: in particular, it was a widespread belief (based on special studies and surveys) that headlines on the front page served to drive sales of the entire newspaper by piquing the reader’s interest (the famous 9-column headline, i.e., as long as the entire horizontal space available in the newspaper), while the headings of individual articles had the task of convincing the reader to read the specific news item.
Today, in our world of information overload, headlines and head ings matter even more, because if we fail to attract attention within seconds and stand out in a competitor-rich SERP, most people will click elsewhere.
For this reason, h1 to h6 headings prove to be organizational tools that guide search engines through our content, and the strategic use of each individual H1 to H6 HTML heading tag allows us to create a hierarchical structure to the page. In the classic hierarchy of headings also recommended as an SEO best practice, the h1 tag is the one that has the most relevance in the eyes of Google and all search engines, as it represents the title of the page and tells the algorithm what the content is about, followed then intuitively by the h2 and h3 tags, which explain to the search engine and reader the importance of each piece of content in a hierarchical manner, then coming to more specific insights contained in the eventual h4 tags, h5 tags, and h6 tags.
And so, SEO headings are critical for several reasons. First, they make it easier for both users and search engines to read and crawl the content. When Google or other search engines scan a web page, they induce a hierarchy and structure that these tags define-this helps algorithms understand which sections of the content are most important, improving the relevance and relevance of the page.
The proper use of headings therefore helps create a clear and consistent hierarchy: for example, the h1 tag should be used for the main title of the page, and only once per page, to maximize its SEO effectiveness. When used correctly, it immediately tells search engines what the main topic of the content is. Lower headings, such as h2 and h3, allow the content to be divided into logical and thematic sections. This not only facilitates smoother navigation for the user, but also reinforces the relevance of search terms to search engines. In addition, using appropriate SEO headings can increase user dwell time on the page, improving crucial metrics such as bounce rate.
But there is a final – and perhaps more direct and concrete – SEO benefit that comes from strategic use of headings: inserting keywords naturally and semantically, improving the relevance of the content for search engines. In fact, including the most relevant keywords in the headings helps Google better understand the topic and structure of the page, thus optimizing its ranking in search results – be careful, however, not to overdo keyword stuffing or lexical forcing. One possible key use might be to concentrate the main keywords in h1 and h2 and use semantic variants in h3 and beyond.
Heading: how to correctly use h1, h2, h3 in text
The correct use of headings is one of the cornerstones of good SEO optimization, because they affect the readability of content and its indexing by search engines.
But how can we best use h1, h2 and h3 tags in web content?
Let’s start with h1 tag, definitely the one on which the most words have been spent. This is the main title of the page and should be unique for each page of the site: it should summarize the central theme of the content in a few words. According to SEO best practices, it is advisable to include the main keyword in this tag to attract search engines and help them immediately understand the topic of the content, while also attracting users’ attention.
Proceeding with h2, this tag is used to divide the content into main sections and should include keywords that reflect the topics covered in the individual sections. Not only do h2s organize the content, they also help search engines understand the structure of the page and the importance of the various topics covered; in using h2 we must therefore take care to maintain consistency in the content.
We now come to h3, which serves to provide additional details within the sections delimited by the previous header, to give additional depth to the information and facilitate reading. Again, it is useful to include related keywords to expand the semantic relevance of the page. Proper use of h3 increases the likelihood that search engines will comprehend the content of the page overall.
Let us now examine some h1, h2, h3 practical examples:
- h1: “Complete guide to HTML headings for SEO”
- h2: “Why headings are important for SEO”
- h3: “Improved structure and readability”
In this case, h1 provides a clear and concise description of the entire content; h2 introduces a key section of the content, while h3 provides an additional level of detail. This structure not only improves the readability of the page, but also helps search engines to properly recognize and evaluate the various levels of information.
Finally, another golden rule is to avoid duplicate h1 tags. Each page should have only one h1 to avoid confusion for both search engines and users. Consistency is key: an orderly and logical use of headings helps maintain a high quality of content, making it easily interpretable and highly relevant to both the audience and search engines.
Tips for managing headings in articles
Turning to the practical aspects, the first step in writing SEO articles – but, really, in writing content of any kind-is to have clear in mind what the structure to be given to the text should be, hypothesizing its architecture and drawing its structure: in this way, we can immediately fix what topics are to be covered, what space they need, and, above all, what hierarchical relationship binds them.
Having built this framework, it becomes easier to insert the various headings, which will naturally serve to divide the various paragraphs and possibly introduce insights into the topic that may intrigue and interest the reader (and respond to the search intent identified by Google).
And so, the breakdown in steps could be:
- Identify the main topic with the h1 tag
- Divide the content into main sections with the h2 tags
- Go deeper into the sections with the tag h3
- Use the h4, h5 and h6 tags for further subdivisions
- Insert keywords in headings
How to insert heading tags in text
Going still on the practical side, inserting heading tags in the text is a very simple operation, whether we work in Word environment (or any other digital writing program), or operate directly in WordPress (which, as we know, is the most popular CMS in the world).
If we use Word, we can add the heading elements by choosing one of the “styles” proposed by the program: basically, the tool presents 4 standard heading formats (from Title 1 to Title 4, corresponding in HTML to h1 and h4, respectively), but we can also manually change the settings and add our own hierarchy.
Similarly, in the WordPress text editor (and by now in most other CMSs as well) we can insert headings tags directly into the text we are working on by selecting the specific heading from the drop-down menu that is generally found in the top left corner of the toolbar. In newer versions, WordPress allows 6 hierarchical levels of headings, from Title 1 (which would be h1 in HTML) to Title 6 (h6).
For those who chew a little HTML, the alternative is to manually write the code for our document: like all tags, these header elements respect a specific and very easy-to-remember syntax. The opening tag is the name of the chosen level-for example, <h1> for the title h1, precisely-to which we will add the slash in the closing tag-which is then </h1>.
If this is what concerns the general aspect, the structure to be adapted to each piece of content, obviously much more unique is the study of the keywords to be included in the headings, which must be chosen in a meaningful and semantic way.
In CMS environments, one often has the facility to manage these operations through SEO plugins that guide the user in the correct insertion of keywords within the headings, providing suggestions and improvements in real time. Tools such as Yoast SEO for WordPress offer features that allow you to immediately see the impact of heading and keyword optimization on page rankings in search engines.
How to use h1, h2 and h3 headings.
More complicated on the surface might be learning how to use headings properly, that is, figuring out how many h1s you can use on a page, whether you can use an h2 after an h3, and so on.
We can immediately answer all these answers in the same way: there is no inviolable, ironclad rule, because the only real goal we have to achieve with paragraph structuring is, as mentioned before, to make the text easier for people to read. So, we can at best offer suggestions, best practices, but there is no perfect solution that will always work, in all circumstances, because a lot also depends on the characteristics of the site and the content covered.
That said, let’s start with some hints on headings in hierarchical order, starting precisely with h1s.
As a rule, it is suggested to use only one h1 heading per text, but in reality we can insert as many as we need, as long as we do not make the subject matter confusing. As we know, the h1 represents the headline of a web page, the title of the article that the human eye concretely sees at the top of the text or that catches the attention by browsing the home page (as opposed to the title, which instead is the element that appears in Google SERPs and in the browser tab): if our article (of any kind) deals with a single topic, developed and articulated in various paragraphs, sections and subsections, it would be better to use only one h1 heading. In some cases, however, when, for example, the text or the same web page deals with two or more main topics, different H1s will be needed to clarify the hierarchical parity between this information.
Ultimately we are the ones who decide, as the architects of our text, not least because this issue has no relevance to Google, which has clarified that multiple h1s can also be used if it makes sense for the page-with all the relevance placed on the term “sense.”
SEO h2 and other heading tags: how to use them
Less complex is the handling of the other heading tags, which serve to define the text in paragraphs with headings and subheadings: we can (more or less) freely use as many h2, h3, h4, h5 and h6 as we see fit to structure the content in the best way for the reader.
Without tying ourselves to specific patterns, what matters is to produce and publish text that is well-organized and structured, that is “visually” clear and helps the reader immediately form an idea of the topic that will be covered and how it will be talked about. Generally, the first paragraph introduces the topic, while all its nuances and declinations will be explored in depth in paragraphs and sub-paragraphs, until the topics are exhausted.
Tags h1, h2, h3 and SEO: how to choose keywords
Over time, headings have become a kind of “free zone” for SEOs, who, unable to use the most unnatural and ungrammatical keywords directly in the main text (those without articles or prepositions, for example, or formulated in ways far removed from spoken language), have turned their attentions precisely to the various h2 and h3 in the article, making them the de facto realm of optimized keywords.
While the attempt not to bend syntax and grammar at all costs to the reasons of SEO writing is nevertheless appreciable, and thus to avoid forcing far too much into the text that could annoy users’ reading, an overly conventional use of headings is also not advisable, if it does not add value to the information provided to readers. Therefore, it is fine to use precise keyword strings in a heading tag to try to intercept the interest of the search engine algorithm, but as long as we do not overdo it and do not over-optimize (also because Google and its competitors are getting smarter and smarter to understand what we are writing, looking out for the intent rather than the string of words we use).
More important and useful would be to take advantage of paragraphs and sub-paragraphs to include information that is valuable to users – and therefore searched for: in this sense, using the tips on related searches that also come from SEOZoom allows us to analyze the various facets of the topic we are addressing, without ending up out of focus with respect to the main search intent, while also identifying any long tail keywords that can serve to please our audience.
SEO heading management tips
Of course, there are plenty of resources out there suggesting best practices for making the best use of heading tags from an SEO perspective, and we can summarize what tips are generally proposed.
- At our disposal we have 6 levels of head ings-from h1, which is the first of the headings, up to h6, and we can use all of them with confidence, although it is rare to get to full use of all the headings in the same article.
- In a medium-length text (1500-2000 words) we generally do not go beyond h4.
- As a general rule, a web page should deal with only one topic, and individual paragraphs and sub-paragraphs should also focus on only one topic that is secondary to the main one – but there are exceptions, as mentioned.
- The H1 introduces and opens the article.
- Applying multiple H1s or skipping headings altogether could create a confusing page structure and make reading and user experience more difficult, as well as complicate accessibility to resources.
- Heading tags should be inserted in the text in descending order according to the organization we intend to give to the content: the main heading is h1, the main paragraph(s) should be titled with an H2, the subsequent internal sub paragraphs with h3 and to proceed.
- The criterion to be followed is that of hierarchical order, and the graphic appearance can help us understand this: the font of h1 is larger, that of h2 smaller, and so to degrade to h6, a fact that immediately signals to readers that the smaller headings are hierarchically inferior to the previous ones.
- Respecting hierarchical order also means that the higher-ranking header can accommodate a lower-ranking one: put another way, within an h2 we can open an h3, and then subsequently an h4, an h5, and an h6, but it is not advisable to jump immediately from h2 to h5.
- If it is not suggested to jump the hierarchical ladder forward, we can instead “go back”: for example, we can create a h2-h3-h4-h3 structure, to deal in depth with one topic and then return to the slightly higher level one, if this does not confuse the reader.
- Again as an element of possibility, we can also make a text that has only one h1 and many h2s, or one h1 heading, one h2 heading, and several h3 headings: as mentioned, there is potentially no limit to the number of headings we can use (even of equal degree).
To help us, we can think of (again!) structuring by headings as managing a book: as mentioned, the h1 element represents the title of the work – in principle, there is only one and it is the most important element – while next are the h2s, or chapters, which introduce certain sections and help the reader understand the topics covered, and then the h3s, which further define certain concepts and so on.
How to write effective headings for SEO
In order for them to be effective and achieve their goals, moreover, you need to use headings (and subheadings) well and not just put in standard, over-optimized sentences that may be full of ungrammatical keywords: again, it is crucial to write well and use headings mindful of the semantics and context of the page. That is, think first about the naturalness of the content, the user experience and readability of what we write, and then, secondly, about optimization in view of potential Google ranking.
Speaking of this topic, moreover, we should not forget that in the classic list of ranking factors on the search engine, headings are mentioned in various circumstances, deemed precisely an element that Google’s algorithm can take into account to understand onpage content and consequently assess the relevance of a page with respect to a query.
What to avoid: common mistakes with headings
Misuse of headings is a widespread problem, even among experienced professionals.
One of the most common mistakes is the use of more than one h1 on the same page: in theory, this is not a huge problem, because Google has learned not to give too much weight to these elements, but in any case a duplicate h1 tag can confuse both search engines and users, reducing the effectiveness of the content. Each page should have only one h1 representing the main and central heading of the content. Other headings such as h2 and h3 can be used to further organize the content into thematic sections.
Speaking of duplication, it is obviously important to try not to use the same headings multiple times, either within the single page or in other content in the same domain. For example, scanning with SEOZoom’s SEO Spider flags the presence of any duplicate H1 and H2 headings within the site, again with a view to not sending ambiguous signals to search engine crawlers.
Another frequent mistake is the lack of consistency in subheadings. The heading structure should follow a logical and orderly hierarchy: for example, an h2 should be followed only by other h2s or related h3s, and so on. Jumping from an h2 directly to an h4 without an intermediate h3 creates an inconsistent structure and can confuse both users and search engines.
Overoptimization is another common problem. Filling h tags with keywords at the expense of content relevance and readability can be counterproductive. Search engines have advanced algorithms that can detect and penalize such practices, so it is critical to maintain a balance between keyword use and content naturalness.
Finally, ignoring accessibility is a serious mistake. Headings are not only useful for search engines, but also for users using assistive technologies such as screen readers. A well-defined and consistent heading structure greatly improves the accessibility of the site, making the content usable for a wider audience.
Heading and SEO: what is the effect of h1, h2, h3 on ranking?
It may seem surprising (and perhaps disappointing), but at the end of this talk we have not presented and discovered a technique to improve the ranking of our pages.
In fact, learning how to manage headings does not have a direct effect on Google ranking, but it can lead to side benefits, because they can affect the user experience and more precisely define the topic of the page for crawlers as well.
If we use header tags intelligently and accurately we make it easier for search engines to recognize topic, structure, and quality of text more easily, but more importantly we provide a service to human readers, who can more easily and clearly (both visually and conceptually) follow the topics addressed, thanks to a precise and ordered architecture.
In general, anything we can do to help Google understand our site and pages overall is a good thing, and even if using a good semantic HTML structure with the correct header elements does not serve to tell Google that our page or site is of quality, it is still a way to improve the way we present ourselves to the real people who enjoy our content.
More specifically, it is also with the right page and paragraph titles that we can capture the reader’s attention, and consequently interest them and increase the chances that they will read the entire content, delve into other articles (perhaps those linked internally), and in the future return to visit our site. And this is central to SEO copywriting, which is also about the ability to be found and appreciated by users, before ranking well in Google SERPs.
Ultimately, headings help us build the architecture of the text and immediately communicate to the reader to understand how the piece will be structured; by aiding reading, they increase the likelihood that the reader-user will return to read us, thus providing support to improve the performance of our pages.
Heading tags, why they are useful for SEO
Clarifying how and why the quality of content also depends on the correct use of heading tags is helped by a special study by webaim.org, from which comes interesting data to understand the concrete value of these factors.
In fact, the U.S.-based nonprofit organization carried out a survey involving a sample of more than 1,200 people intended to collect the responses and preferences of “screen reader users” (i.e., users of software that enables reading for people suffering from various kinds of vision problems ) from all over the world and of different ages.
- Searching for information within the page
The part that is perhaps most interesting to us, with respect to the topic and our work, is the part related to searching and finding information within the page: the question specifically aimed to find out “what action you most likely take first to search for information within a long page full of content,” and the options were “navigatingthrough headings,” “using the search function,” “navigating through links on the page,” “navigating through landmarks/regions on the page,” and “reading the page.”
- Headings are critical for navigating on-page content
The answers confirm what we were saying: browsing via headings remains the predominant method of searching for information on the page, with 68.8 percent of users using this system to scroll through pages without having to read them in their entirety, thus dwelling on the points they consider most interesting. Limiting ourselves to screen readers, however, the study also reveals that headings are read mostly by those with advanced proficiency with the tool, while novice users take advantage of the “find on page” command or read the article entirely.
- A tool to guide and intrigue readers
The cue we get from this research is clear: headings can direct and guide readers to discover our content, similar to what the main title and meta description do to persuade them to click from SERPs. Landing on the page, users can refer precisely to the various H2s, H3s, and so on present both to better define the context and to see if they should spend time and attention reading.
Heading, SEO and Google: clarifications on the use of page headings
Google has repeatedly clarified that headings do not directly help ranking, although still useful in other forms. For example, John Mueller said that semantic HTML and tag hierarchy are not a quality signal used in Google Search for ranking purposes, “but they certainly help us understand pages better so we can show them better for the appropriate queries in search.”
However, the weight of headings on ranking should not be underestimated either, and it is again Google sources who clarify this and describe the role that for the search engine-and therefore for SEO-content headings, the headings of the various paragraphs into which we divide the text on the page, play.
Specifically, it is John Mueller again in one of his many videos who focuses on the topic: responding to an eCommerce owner grappling with an indexing and ranking problem for product pages, which are made “with large featured images and large amounts of text, with rather generic headings.” Therefore, the user asks if “ moving the images down and the text up” would help Google better interpret the content of individual pages.
John Mueller’s immediate answer is “no,” because “simply moving the position of content on an HTML page does not play an important role” in terms of crawling or ranking, but then the Googler goes into some practical pointers for optimizing content, talking as we said about headings as well.
Why headings are useful for Google and for readers
For Google, headings are useful because they help Googlebot and readers understand the focus of that section of content; they are tools that are used to define and describe the various topics and subtopics covered within the web page. In principle, a web page should deal with only one topic, and individual paragraphs and sub-paragraphs should also focus on only one topic that is secondary to the main topic.
Therefore, comments Roger Montti on SearchEngineJournal, “product images, price, size, color, reviews, and comparisons” are some of the information a user expects to find on a site when making a Google query about a product, and these then might be some of the paragraphs in the product tab.
On information sites, on the other hand, the need might be for the usefulness of a specific tool to achieve a goal and perform an action (e.g., finding the right pan to make a recipe) or other additional guidance that together meet people’s needs.
Thus, a page is well planned when the headings, images, and text form a unit that relates to each other, when everything is well structured to meet the search intent. Conversely, including headings that do not relate to the content is a mistake that could have negative effects in terms of ranking and organic visibility.
Effective use of headings helps readability and understanding of the page
Once again, then, John Mueller reiterates that headings-including SEO title and h1-do not serve directly as a ranking factor, but they can affect the user experience and topic definition of the page. To be precise, he says that “heading is useful in that we can take a title and see what images and what kind of text apply to that title.”
Stepping out of the topic and back to the user’s problem, Mueller also tries to offer an explanation for that site’s lack of effectiveness: “One thing I’ve noticed on the pages shown as examples is the appearance, at some point in the loading process, of an interstitial for country selection.”
The Search Advocate states that “if this interstitial is activated when Googlebot is at work crawling and rendering pages it could create annoyances and prevent pages from being indexed properly.” A better alternative is to use a banner for this purpose, because “even if it is rendered, it does not block the indexing of the rest of the content,” as is the case with the interstitial, which in the worst case scenario “deletes” the previous content and leaves little content for Googlebot to parse.
Google and the use of H1-H6 headings for SEO
On a more recent occasion, Google’s Gary Illyes returned to discuss the SEO value of hierarchical heading elements such as h1, h2, and h3. In summary, he clarified that while the use of hierarchical headings is useful for accessibility and logical structuring of content, this practice is not critical to Google from an SEO perspective. In particular, he pointed out that while an h1 makes content accessible and logical for the end user, it is not its most important element for SEO ranking.
In simple terms, for Illyes, HTML elements are the building blocks of a web page and, like the foundation or roof of a house, have a definite place in the overall structure. Header elements communicate the theme and subtopics of a web page: if used well, a user could and should understand the list of topics on that page simply by reading these headings, without delving deeper into the content.
In addition, as Google’s Introductory Guide to SEO also makes clear, it is recommended that header elements be used in “semantic” order for people using screen readers, with the understanding that strict adherence to hierarchical order is not important to Google, which is not crucial from an SEO perspective – but it is a good practice to respect the hierarchical order of headings for reasons of accessibility and good structuring, Illyes adds.
What the official HTML standards say
The official HTML standards are also flexible about the use of headings.
Initially, they state that “a heading element briefly describes the topic of the section it introduces. Header information can be used by user agents, for example, to automatically construct a table of contents for a document,” then specifying that ”heading elements are h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, and h6, where h1 is the highest (or most important) level and H6 the lowest.” The official HTML5 specification for headings states that hierarchical ordering is implied, but that nonetheless headings communicate the beginning of a new section within a web page. Furthermore, Although “nesting” of headings by subtopics is strongly encouraged, it is not a strict rule.
To be precise: “The first heading content element in a subdivision content element represents the heading for that section. Subsequent headers of equal or higher rank initiate new (implied) sections; headers of lower rank initiate implied subsections that are part of the previous one. In both cases, the element represents the implied section header. Sections may contain headings of any level, but authors are strongly advised to use only h1 elements or to use elements of the appropriate level for the section nesting level.”
The last part of the official standards is quite explicit: users are “encouraged” to use only h1 elements, which might seem crazy at first-although, as before, it is only an encouragement and not a strict rule.
It is only in the official HTML standards for headings in the context of accessibility that recommendations are stricter about the use of header elements with a hierarchical structure (from important to least important).
In this light, Google’s approach to header elements seems to be in line with the official standards, which allow deviations except for accessibility reasons. But the SEO tools are also right to say that the proper use of header elements involves putting them in hierarchical order-although this is not so much for SEO as it is for users and accessibility.
