Headings structure your content for both readers and search engines. They help users scan a page, understand its content, and quickly find the information they need. Search engines and AI systems use headings to interpret the topic and structure of your content. By using a clear H1 heading, supported by well-written H2 and H3 headings, you can improve readability, accessibility and SEO at the same time.
Key insights
- Headings structure the content, increase readability for users and search engines and at the same time improve search engine optimization.
- Use a clear H1 for the main topic, with H2 for main sections and H3 for subsections to maintain the logical hierarchy.
- Headings improve accessibility for users with assistive technology by providing clear navigation and organization.
- Avoid common mistakes like skipping heading levels, using vague labels, or keyword stuffing to ensure clarity and confidence.
- With Yoast SEO, optimize heading structure and keyword usage to improve content quality and search rankings.
What are headings?
Headings are the titles and subtitles used to structure your content. In HTML, headings range from H1 to H6. These tags inform browsers, search engines, and assistive technologies about how your content is organized.
On a typical page, H1 is used for the main topic. H2 headings divide the text into main sections. H3 headings further divide these sections. This hierarchy creates a logical structure of your page, similar to a book’s table of contents.
Without headings, your content becomes difficult to search. Clear headings allow readers to immediately see what your page is about and which sections are relevant to them.
Why are headings important for SEO?
Headings help search engines understand what your content is about and how the different topics on the page relate to each other. They provide structure, context, and signals about the meaning of different sections.
Your H1 usually tells search engines what the main topic of your page is. Your H2 and H3 headings support this topic by introducing related subtopics. When this structure is clear and logical, it becomes easier for search engines to correctly interpret your content.
Headings also support semantic SEO. Instead of focusing on a keyword, search engines now evaluate topical relevance and context. Well-written headings naturally contain related terms and concepts that support the overall theme of the page. This approach works best when combined with thorough keyword research and in-depth content. To learn more, check out our keyword research and quality content guides.
Headings also play a role in how AI-driven search systems interpret content. A clean structure makes it easier for these systems to extract accurate answers from your pages.
Why are headings important to readers?
Most visitors don’t read every word on a page. You scan first. They look at the title, skim the subheadings and only then decide which parts they want to read in detail. Headings support this natural reading behavior.
Clear headings improve readability by breaking long texts into manageable sections. They help readers understand what each part of the article is about before they start reading. This reduces the effort required to interact with your content and keeps people on the page longer.
Readability is an important quality signal. If you want to delve deeper into this topic, our readability guide explains how structure, sentence length, and headings work together to create easy-to-read content.
How to use headings correctly
Using headings correctly means following a logical hierarchy and writing them with the reader in mind. Each page should have a clear H1 that describes the main topic. This is usually the title of your page. Below that, use H2 headings for your body sections. When a section becomes lengthy or complex, use H3 headings to break it down further.
Don’t skip heading levels. An H3 should always follow an H2 and not jump off directly from an H1. This keeps the structure logical for both users and machines.
Your headings should describe what the section is about. Avoid vague terms such as “Introduction” or “More information”. Instead, write headings that clearly explain what the reader will learn in this section.
Did you get a red light or an orange light? Subheading distribution in Yoast SEO? Find out how to do it Spread them out better. Or has Yoast SEO given you feedback on your use? Keyword in subheadings? Find out how to do it improve that.
How many H1 headings should you use?
In most cases you should use one H1 per page. The H1 defines the main topic of the page and helps both users and search engines understand what the page is about at a glance.
Although modern HTML allows more than one H1, using multiple H1s often leads to confusion about the primary focus of the page. For consistency and clarity, an H1 is still the best practice for most websites.
Your H1 should be written naturally and not stuffed with keywords. It should read like a real headline written for people. If you need help with this, Yoast SEO can balance clarity and optimization in headings and titles.
How to use H2 and H3 headings
H2 headings divide your article into its main sections. Each H2 should cover an important aspect of your topic. Even if someone just reads through your H2 headings, they should still be able to understand the overall structure and purpose of your article.
H3 headings are used within an H2 section to divide it into smaller parts. They are useful when explaining steps, comparing options, or covering several closely related points in a larger section.
You should not use H3 headings unless they increase clarity. Headings should support the reader and not decorate the page.
Common mistakes when using headings
A common mistake is to use headings solely for visual design. Headings are not just larger or bolder text. You define the structure of your content in HTML. Choosing a heading level based solely on its appearance can affect the semantic structure of your page.
Another common problem is skipping heading levels, e.g. B. jumping directly from H2 to H4. This disrupts the logical structure of the page and causes problems for screen readers and search engines.
Repeating the same heading text in multiple places is also a problem. Each heading should be unique so that users and search engines can clearly distinguish the sections.
Keyword stuffing is another mistake. Headings should sound natural. If they read like a list of search terms, they reduce trust and affect readability. Clear, descriptive language always works better.
Headings and accessibility
Headings are essential for accessibility. Screen readers use headings to help users navigate a page efficiently. With a proper heading structure, visually impaired users can easily navigate from section to section and understand how the content is organized without having to listen to the entire page.
A clear and logical heading hierarchy improves usability for everyone, not just assistive technology users. It also depends heavily on how search engines evaluate page quality.
If accessibility is part of your broader optimization work, it should be considered alongside internal linking and overall site structure. Don’t forget that what’s good for accessibility is, in many cases, also good for search engine optimization!
Read more: Writing accessible content: 4 checks you can do with Yoast SEO and the block editor »
Headings in WordPress and Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO uses headings as part of both its SEO analysis and its readability analysis. One of the tests carried out will be carried out on your premises Subtitle distributionthis checks how evenly your text is divided into sections with headings. If large blocks of text appear without subheadings, Yoast will point this out and suggest adding subheadings to improve the readability of that part.
Effective distribution of subheadings means that readers regularly encounter clear signposts that help them navigate the page without feeling overwhelmed by long, uninterrupted paragraphs. Watch the video below to learn more about subheading distribution check and subheading keyphrase in Yoast SEO:
This will give you a green light for your subtitle distribution
What do you do if you see an orange or red light for your subheading distribution in the Yoast SEO plugin? First of all, don’t forget to use subheadings, and this is obvious. You should try to create a subheading for each individual topic in your text. This can apply to each paragraph or to multiple paragraphs discussing the same topic.
We recommend that you include a heading above each long paragraph or group of paragraphs that form a thematic unit. The text following a subheading should be 250-350 words.
An example of a heading structure
Let’s say we have a blog post about it Ballet shoes. We chose “ballet shoes” as our focus keyword and wrote an article about why we like ballet shoes. Without headings, there is a risk that we will end up writing a long, rambling text that is difficult to understand. However, when we structure things logically using headings, we make it easier to read and help focus the text.
The structure of this post could look like this:
- H1: Ballet shoes are great
- H2: Why we think ballet shoes are great
- H3: They don’t just come in pink!
- H3: You can’t just use them for dancing
- H3: They might be cheaper than you think
- H2: Where should you buy your ballet shoes?
- H3: Top ten ballet equipment websites
- H3: Our favorite local dance shops
- H2: Why we think ballet shoes are great
See how we created a logical structure by using H2 tags to plan sections and H3 tags to cover specific topics? We did the same thing in the post you are currently reading!
This is a great example of how your headings should be structured in a medium-length article. For a shorter article, consider using fewer (or more general, high-level) headings. If you want to go deeper, nothing stops you from using H4 tags to create “sublevel” sections too.
Add headings
Knowing how to structure is all well and good, but how do you add headings? This is best explained by two of the most popular CMS: WordPress and Shopify!
Note: The following instructions will guide you through adding subheadings in the text. Don’t forget to add a post title at the top of the page too! In Yoast SEO Premium, you will be reminded if the Title field is empty. When you use Yoast SEO Premium, you also get various other AI features such as: B. Yoast AI Optimize to help you do the hard work.
How to add a heading in WordPress
If you use WordPress, there are several ways to do this:
About the publisher
The easiest way to add headings is to use the editor. If you are using the block editor, click the “+” button and select “Heading”. You can then choose which heading (H2, H3, etc.) you want to add.
If you still use the classic editor in WordPress, it’s easy too. Make sure you’re in the editor’s visual tab and select “Heading 2” or another heading from the drop-down menu.
Use of HTML
It is also possible to add headings using HTML. In the classic editor, you need to make sure you’re on the Text tab (or directly in the code) and use heading tags
. Like this:
You can switch between the visual editor or edit as HTML in the block editor. To do this, click on the three vertical dots on the block toolbar. Then select the Edit as HTML option. Like this:
How to add a heading in Shopify
Adding headings in Shopify is similar to the classic WordPress editor. When you are in the content editor, you can select a section of text and select the corresponding heading from the drop-down menu in the formatting menu item:
If you prefer to work in HTML, you can select the code sign in the top right corner of the editor and create headings in HTML as described in the WordPress instructions above.
Use your key phrase in the subheadings
Headings allow you to prominently use your focus keyword (or its synonyms) to clarify what the page is about. By adding your focus key phrase to your subheadings, you emphasize their importance. Additionally, you need to write about it if you want to rank for keywords. You’ll likely have difficulty ranking if none of your paragraphs cover the main topic.
Still, just like with keywords, it’s important not to overdo it. Include your key phrase where it makes sense and leave it out where it doesn’t.
Yoast SEO can help you with keyword evaluation in heading evaluation
After you enter your keyphrase in Yoast SEO, the keyphrase in the subheading score will check whether you have used it enough. With Yoast SEO, you get a green light if you use the keywords in 30 to 75% of your subheadings. Please note that we only check your H2 and H3 subheadings. If you have Yoast SEO Premium or use the Yoast SEO for Shopify app, you can even check the usage of synonyms.
How to include your key phrase in your subheadings
Whether you add your key phrase to a subheading depends on the paragraphs it connects to. Each paragraph in your text should tell the reader something about the topic. Furthermore, your subheadings are nothing more than a very brief summary of what you are going to say in one or more paragraphs. Therefore, it should always be possible to add your key phrase to one or more subheadings. If you’re still having trouble accomplishing this, ask yourself a few questions about the structure of your article.
- Does my text address the topic described in the key phrase? If not, should I choose other keywords?
- Do my current subheadings accurately describe what I discuss below?
- Which paragraphs are most closely related to the topic and key phrase?
- What questions do these paragraphs answer about the topic and key phrase?
Most of the time, you will find that answering these questions will help you add the keywords to one or more of your subheadings. If that’s not possible, you should probably reconsider question number one. If that doesn’t solve your problems, consider educating yourself about copywriting and text structure to get a clearer idea of how a good text is structured. Your keyword should be the focus of the topic. Therefore, you should be able to add the keywords to multiple subheadings.
Headings in topics
Most themes use headings as part of their HTML, but some do not follow best practices. Almost all themes automatically use the name of your article in an H1 tag. This is helpful because you don’t have to repeat the post name in your content.
Unfortunately, some themes use tags incorrectly, in an illogical order (e.g. an H4, then an H2), or they use tags messily in sidebars, headers and footers. This can cause accessibility issues because the order of your headings may not make sense. Users, search engines, and supporting technologies typically examine the entire page, not just your content area.
If you have a custom theme, you may be able to resolve this issue by customizing your HTML. You may need to contact the developers if you are using a default theme. In any case, you’ll want to make sure your headings are consistent across all template types on your site.
Check your blog headings
Good use of headings is helpful to your users. It increases the chances of people reading your article, improves accessibility, and can even help with search engine optimization. So add them to your copy, but make sure you use them correctly!
The Document Overview is a handy button located in the top left corner of the WordPress block editor’s content editing screen. This shows an outline of the page you are editing. If you have structured your content well, it should look like this!
If you use Shopify or the classic editor in WordPress, you can test your published article via W3 validator.
Read more: WordPress SEO: the definitive guide to higher rankings for your WordPress site
Final thoughts
Headings are one of the easiest and most powerful tools for improving readability and SEO. They guide your readers through your content and help search engines understand what each part of your page is about.
Use a clear H1 to define your topic. Use H2s to structure your main ideas. Use H3s where they really improve clarity. Write your headlines for people first and let optimization support that goal.
