Heading Tags: How to Structure Your Titles (H1, H2, H3)

Heading tags (H1 to H6) are used to organize a page's titles. They help readers scan the content, assistive technologies navigate, and search engines understand how the topic is organized.

The role of each level

• H1: the page's main title, announcing its subject.
• H2: the major sections of the page.
• H3: subsections of an H2.
• H4 to H6: finer levels, rarely necessary.

Can you have several H1s?

Technically, HTML allows it, and Google can interpret a page that has several: it doesn't trigger a penalty. Still, a single clear H1 per page remains the simplest and most readable practice: the page has one main topic, and the H1 states it.

Rules to follow

• Respect the hierarchy: an H2 contains H3s, not the other way around. Don't skip a level (from H2 to H4) without reason.
• Use headings for structure, not style: if you want bigger or bold text, use CSS, not a heading tag.
• Write descriptive headings: the reader should understand the section's content by reading it alone.
• Naturally include the topic in the H1 and some H2s, without repeating the same keyword everywhere.
• Stay consistent with the title tag: the H1 can reuse or reword the title, without necessarily being identical.
• Don't use headings for repeated elements such as menus, footers or widgets.

Example outline

• H1: Local SEO guide
• H2: What is local SEO?
• H2: Optimizing your Google Business Profile
  • H3: Choosing the right categories
  • H3: Adding photos
• H2: Getting customer reviews

Benefits of a good structure

• Readability: information can be spotted at a glance.
• Accessibility: screen readers let users jump from heading to heading.
• Google's understanding: structure highlights the parts of the topic.
• Rich snippets: headings phrased as questions, followed by a short answer, make it easier to pick up your content.

Common mistakes

• No H1 tag, or an H1 that is only the site name.
• Headings chosen only for their visual size.
• Vague headings like "Introduction" or "Next".
• Keyword stuffing in headings.

To check your structure, try reading only the page's headings: if they tell the outline of the article, your hierarchy is good.