Heading structure

What it means

Heading structure is the hierarchy of H1 to H6 headings on a web page that divides content into logical sections. A page should have a single main H1 that captures its topic, with H2 subheadings for the main sections and H3 or lower levels for their subsections.

Headings help readers skim a text and find what they need. Screen readers use them for navigation, so a correct structure is part of accessibility under WCAG. Search engines use headings to work out what a page is about and how its parts are organised.

Heading structure is one of the basics of on-page SEO, alongside the title tag and the meta description. Unlike those, however, it is visible on the page itself and serves the reader first, not just the search engine.

How it works in practice

When writing an article or a service page, it helps to start with an outline of headings. If the content can be understood from them alone, the structure is good. Headings should be specific and descriptive, such as How the meal contribution is calculated, rather than generic ones like Introduction or More information.

Headings phrased as questions with short answers right below them increase the chance that a search engine uses the text as a featured snippet. The same applies to generative engine optimisation, as AI search tools like to cite clearly separated sections with a precise answer.

Heading levels should not be skipped, for example jumping from H2 straight to H4, and headings should not be used just to make text bigger. Appearance is handled with styles, while heading tags express meaning. With a content management system it is worth checking which tags the template actually outputs.

What to watch out for

A common mistake is several H1 headings on a page, for instance when the template marks both the logo and the article title as H1, or the opposite, a missing H1. The problem is invisible in normal browsing but shows up in an SEO audit or a look at the source code.

Stuffing headings with keywords looks unnatural and can do harm. A heading should above all describe the section's content truthfully. A keyword in the H1 is useful, but only when it naturally matches the page's topic.