Why headings matter to search and AI
Headings are the table of contents of a page. Search engines use them to understand which topics a page covers and how they relate; answer engines use them to find the passage that answers a question; screen readers use them to let people jump around. A clean outline helps all three — and it costs nothing.
Reading the outline
We list every heading in the order it appears in the HTML, indented by level. Toggle between H1–H3 for the big picture and H1–H6 for everything. Headings that jump more than one level deeper than the one before are highlighted as skipped levels, and empty heading tags — often left behind by page builders or icon fonts — are flagged in red. Because we read the server HTML, headings that only appear after JavaScript runs won't show; if your outline looks empty, that's a finding in itself.
Heading best practices
- One H1 that states the topic. Keep it between roughly 20 and 70 characters, and include the main keyword where it reads naturally.
- Use H2s as questions or clear section labels. “How much does a website cost in India?” is easier to quote than “Pricing”.
- Nest logically. H3s sit under H2s, H4s under H3s. Never choose a level just for its size.
- Don't wrap logos or taglines in H1. Many themes do this on every page, creating hundreds of identical H1s across the site.
- Keep headings descriptive. “Overview” and “More info” tell nobody anything; a heading should make sense on its own.
Headings are one part of on-page SEO. For the rest — titles, descriptions, content depth, links and schema — run the On-Page SEO Checker.
Frequently asked questions
Can a page have more than one H1?
HTML allows it and Google says it can cope, but a single H1 is still best practice. It gives search engines, AI models and screen-reader users one unambiguous statement of what the page is about.
Should the H1 be the same as the title tag?
They should describe the same topic, but they don't have to match. The title tag is written for the search result; the H1 can be a more natural headline for people already on the page.
Is skipping from H2 to H4 bad for SEO?
It won't cause a penalty, but it breaks the logical outline that assistive technology and parsers rely on. It usually means headings are being chosen for their font size rather than their meaning — fix the styling with CSS instead.