Web Dev Headings in Articles: A Guide to SEO and Organization

Using web dev headings in articles is a game-changer for SEO and organization. By structuring your content with headings, you can make it easier for readers to scan and understand your article.

Headings like H1, H2, and H3 are essential for search engine optimization. According to Google, using a clear and descriptive H1 title can improve your article's visibility in search results.

A well-structured article with headings can also improve user experience. Studies have shown that readers who see headings are more likely to engage with the content.

HTML headings are important for SEO because they make your articles and pages accessible, improve readability, and help search engine bots crawl and understand your post.

Search engines like Google use headings to quickly crawl through a page and determine how to rank your content. They help Google discern your content and also help people read more efficiently.

Using headers that accurately represent your content will help users and search engines read through the entirety of your content without bouncing off of the page.

Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Only use one H1 tag on a page, as it's easier for screen readers to read and ensures the main topic of the content is clear.

Using multiple H1 tags is not considered best practice, and can lead to confusion for readers and Google. Google says you're "allowed" to use more than one H1, but it's not recommended.

Stick to the proper hierarchical order of headings, from H1 to H6, to maintain a clear structure and avoid breaking the hierarchy.

Every header should give the reader a good idea of the information they can get from the next block of text on the page. Think of your content pieces as stand-alone books, with the H1 header as the title and subsequent H2s, H3s, etc. as chapters.

Maintain a consistent format for your header tags, such as using a particular case format, to keep your content organized and easy to read.

Screen readers can read headings out loud to people who are visually impaired, helping them decide if they want to read or listen to the entire article. This is a game-changer for accessibility.

Headers also help with navigation, allowing screen readers to skip to specific headings. People who are blind or visually impaired use a screen reader to read and navigate a website, and 67.7% of respondents to a 2021 survey use headings to find information.

The proper hierarchical order of headings is crucial for accessibility and SEO. You should go from an H2 to an H3 and then have an H4 below that, rather than skipping heading tags. This helps screen readers and search engines understand the page structure.

Headers are an essential part of making your content scannable and accessible to everyone, including people who are blind or visually impaired. They help screen readers understand the page structure and allow users to navigate through your content more efficiently.

Headers bring structure to your content, making it easier for readers to understand the flow of information. Think of your content pieces as stand-alone books, with the H1 header being the title and subsequent chapters being the H2, H3, and so on.

Developers often skip heading levels to match the browser's default styles, but this breaks the outline model and can be confusing for screen reader users. Instead, use your own CSS and don't skip levels to maintain a logical hierarchy.

Here's a quick rundown of the proper hierarchical order of headings: H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, and H6. This order is essential for maintaining a clear structure and avoiding bad SEO practices.

Headers are not just for styling; they should accurately represent the content on the page. Using multiple H1 tags is not considered best practice, and hiding headers can result in a Google ranking penalty.

To make your content more accessible, consider the following:

By following these best practices, you can make your content more accessible and user-friendly for everyone.

Screen reader users can navigate through a list of headings to decide where to start reading on a webpage. This is especially useful for complex content.

There are no specific accessibility requirements for the length of a heading text. However, usability is also a factor to consider.

Converting entire paragraphs into headings can lead to a poor screen reader experience. It's best to keep headings concise, descriptive, and scannable.

Headings are important for SEO because they make your articles and pages accessible, improve readability, and help search engine bots crawl and understand your post.

Search engines like Google use headers to quickly crawl through a page and determine how to rank your content. Header tags not only help Google discern your content but also help people read more efficiently.

Headers make pages scannable, and that's important because viewers rarely ever read an entire piece of content. Using headers that accurately represent your content will help users and search engines read through the entirety of your content without bouncing off the page.

Google will use headers in bulleted and numbered lists featured snippet results. This is especially important for optimizing for featured snippets.

Search engines love text, content, written word, to understand the content of a page. Because headings give the content structure, the search engine is better able to understand and index the page properly.

Here are some best practices to follow:

Using multiple H1 tags is not considered best practice, and hiding header tags can result in a Google ranking penalty. This is because header tags are meant to organize content, not just add style.

Google and John Mueller claim that you can use as many H1 tags as you want, but using multiple H1 tags is not recommended. Running your site through a crawler like screaming frog can help you identify which pages need optimizing.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid with header tags:

Using a h2 heading for quotes because of its nice big font size is a common mistake. This is because it's meant for subheadings, not for highlighting quotes.

Using a h4 heading for the first paragraph of the text because it's just the size of bold text you need is another mistake. This can make your content look cluttered and hard to read.

Exclusively using h2 headings on a web page because all headings are the same size in the designs is a poor choice. This can make your content look flat and unengaging.

Here are some common mistakes to watch out for:

Using multiple H1 tags is not considered best practice, despite Google and John Mueller claiming it's okay. This is because it can lead to issues with page organization and understanding.

You should run your site through a crawler like Screaming Frog to figure out what pages have H1 tags that need optimizing. This will help you identify areas for improvement.

Hiding header tags is a no-go, as it can result in a Google ranking penalty. This is because header tags are meant to provide organization and structure to your page content.

Don't use header tags just for stylization - they're meant to make sense in the format of the entire page. This means using them to break up content and provide clear headings, rather than just to make text look bigger or bolder.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid with header tags:

Remember, the primary purpose of heading tags is organization, so make sure they make sense in the context of your entire page.

WCAG 2 AA success criteria address headings and heading structure, but they're not very specific about it. However, Success Criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships is clear: if it looks like a heading, it should be a heading in the HTML.

WCAG 2 level AAA demands that headings must be structured, with Success Criterion 2.4.10 requiring section headings to be used to organize content. This is a good practice to follow, even if you're aiming for double A compliance.

A well-organised heading structure helps everyone, especially screen reader users, understand and navigate a web page.

The classic WordPress editor, also known as the WordPress Visual Editor, is still widely used today.

You can set your heading tags using this editor by highlighting your text and clicking on the dropdown box that says 'Paragraph' at the top left of the page.

This dropdown box is where you'll find the options to select different heading tags, such as H1, H2, or H3, depending on where you are in the structure of your content.

For example, if you're writing a blog post, you might use an H2 tag for the first heading after the title, which is usually an H1 tag.

To use an H2 tag, simply select it from the dropdown box after highlighting your text.

WCAG on headings is actually quite vague, but we can learn from the few specific guidelines they do provide.

WCAG 2 AA success criteria address headings or heading structure directly, for example: Success Criterion 2.4.6, which says that headings and labels should describe topic or purpose.

WCAG 2 AA success criteria also mention consistent navigation level, where navigational mechanisms that are repeated on multiple web pages should occur in the same relative order each time they are repeated.

WCAG 2 AA success criterion 1.3.1 states that information, structure, and relationships conveyed through presentation can be programmatically determined or are available in text. In other words, if it looks like a heading, it should be a heading in the HTML, not just text made bold.

WCAG 2 level AAA demands that headings must be structured, specifically success criterion 2.4.10, which says that section headings should be used to organize content.

Wrapping the logo in an h1 can be confusing for screen reader users.

This is because every single page on a site starts with the same h1 text, making it difficult for users to understand the structure of the page.

The best solution is for the designer to add a clear visual and unique h1, also on the homepage.

This approach ensures that the logo is not treated as a heading, and screen reader users can navigate the site more easily.

It's also worth noting that making the logo a link only on other pages can be inconsistent, and may not provide the best user experience.