The correct use of header tags is an important part of your on-page SEO strategy, yet as an agency, we’re still finding client websites either with incorrect implementation, or missing header tags completely. We’re bringing it back to basics and looking at header tags, what they are and how best to use them on your website.

 

What are header tags?

 

Header tags are a type of html code that goes around sections of text on a page. Headers follow a hierarchy, starting with a <h1>, going on to <h2>, <h3>, <h4>, <h5> all the way to <h6>, with the H1 being your main page header, and body copy being split up by H2s and H3s and so on. 

 

<h1> Example header tag </h1>

 

Headers are a great way to split up a block of text and make a page easier to read. The rest of your text that is not a form of header, would be in a <p> tag, e.g. paragraph tag.

 

Example of headers used on a page:

 

<h1> What is SEO</h1>

<h2> Search engine optimisation – definition </h2>

<p> body copy </p>

<h2> Different types of SEO </h2>

<h3> On page SEO </h3>

<p> body copy </p>

<h3> Off-page SEO </h3>

<p> body copy </p>

<h3> Local SEO </h3>

<p> body copy </p>

<h3> Technical </h3>

<p> body copy </p>

 

Why are header tags important for SEO?

 

Header tags are a strong signal for search engines in regards to what a page is about. These tags provide context on the topic of a page as well as helping crawlers understand the hierarchy of the content. Google’s John Mueller said that “having a clear heading on a page gives us a little bit more information on what that section is about”. 

 

Therefore, using header tags to summarise the topic of your page (H1) and sections and subsections of content within your page (H2s, H3s etc..) will be beneficial to both users, and search engines when it comes to understanding and indexing your content.

 

Therefore it’s highly recommended to use descriptive phases as your headlines, and include your pages’ target keywords in these. In an ideal world, your H1 would include your primary keyword, and H2s and H3s may include secondary keywords, or longer tail versions of your target keyword.

 

How should you structure your header tags?

 

When it comes to writing your header tags, only have one H1 <h1> per page. This H1 should be unique, and ideally a similar length to your title tag (around 70 characters). Your H1 should include your target primary keyword and should summarise the topic of the page in one title. 

 

Then you should split your content into top level sections. The title for these sections should be marked up as H2s <h2> . These sections can use longer tail versions of your target keywords. These section titles could also be in the form of questions. They should summarise the next biggest section of your content. 

 

Within a H2, you may wish to break your content down further and use H3s <h3>. This might include smaller paragraphs within your H2 section.  You can keep breaking your content down into smaller and smaller sections, but you must use the header tags in order. 

 

Header tag do’s and don’ts:

 

• Do only have one H1 tag and each pages’ H1 should be unique.
• You can have multiple H2s , H3s and so on but keep them in order.
• You can use a logo as a H1 on the front end, but in the HTML code of the page, you must still write your H1 in <h1> tags so a Google crawler can read it.
• Don’t use H tags for a list e.g. if you have a list of items on a page, use the <li> element, not H4s or H5s.
• Don’t use H tags for styling – if you want to make a bit of text bigger or smaller, you should use CSS, not the header tags.
• Don’t make your header tags too long. Keep your header tags about the length of your page title e.g. around 70 characters.

 

So there you have a top level look at header tags. Use them correctly and you will greatly improve your pages’ chance of ranking and you will be giving your users content in a nice digestible format. Get in touch if you would like a review of your on page tags.