Heading tags are elements of a web page’s HTML that show the browser which text is a heading or a sub-heading. There are six different HTML heading tags, with <h1> being the most important, all the way down to <h6> which is for the most minor sub-headings.
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What do heading tags look like?
In your website’s HTML, the heading tags will look like this: <h1>This is a heading</h1>
For users, each website will have its own rules about how heading tags are displayed. Usually, the lower the number of the heading tag is, the larger and more important it will look. On other sites, the headings will simply be styled according to the site’s aesthetic. For example, here’s ours:
H1 TEXT
How do heading tags affect SEO?
Heading tags are very important for SEO because they show search engines how the site is structured and which text is the most important. By far the most important tag is the <h1> tag which is used to denote the title of a page. Having multiple <h1> tags or not having one at all can confuse search engines and prevent them from properly understanding the content and layout of your page.
Do H1 tags matter for SEO?
H1 tags are by far the most important for SEO because they contain the title of the page, which helps search engines discover the page’s topic and correctly display it to interested users.
Can multiple H1 tags be used on a single webpage?
No. <h1> tags are for the title of the page and having multiple tags can confuse search engines and cause your rankings to suffer. They may also cause your page to be viewed as lower quality.
Do H2 – H6 tags matter for SEO?
H2 – H6 tags have only a very minor effect on SEO but it is still considered best practice to use them to denote the importance of a sub-heading (H2 for the most important subheadings, and H6 for the least). Unlike the H1 tag, you can have as many H2 – H6 tags as you like.
How do I optimize my heading tags for better SEO results?
To optimize your website you should ensure that each page has a single H1 tag that accurately and concisely describes the page’s topic. Other headings should also be given heading tags depending on their importance (H2 for the most important subheadings, and H6 for the least). Finally, you should ensure that all content in heading tags is displayed correctly to site users on the page as well. Google can impose severe ranking penalties on misleading sites that use heading tags for SEO purposes only while displaying different content to the user.
Are heading tags more important for SEO than other types of tags?
There are many types of HTML tags that are important for SEO, but heading tags and meta data tags are usually considered the most important.
Should I include keywords in my heading tags?
Heading tags should accurately describe the page’s content. We recommend against attempting to stuff extra keywords into them for SEO purposes as it can make the user experience worse, and end up having a negative effect on rankings. Keyword adjustment should be done carefully with the aid of an experienced SEO technician.
How long should a heading tag be?
There is no actual limit on how long an H1 tag can be. Most experts however, will recommend that you limit your H1 text to around 60 characters. This avoids potential keyword stuffing, and comes in handy in rare scenarios where Google may replace your page title with the H1 in search results (which do have a 60 character limit).
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