If you are a website looking to optimize your web documents with SEO, it is crucial for you to get your H1 and H2 heading tags right. Proper Use of H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6 heading elements is essential for highlighting the content within your web document. Primarily, SEO header tags are HTML elements that denote various sections of your content.
Initially, H1 tags SEO were primarily used whereas the H2 tags SEO were used lesser in comparison. However, with content saturating the internet, questions of how many h1 tags per page, how many h2 tags per page arose. This led to the use of alternatives to H1 and H2 heading tags i.e. H3, H4, H5, and H6. This article will discuss in detail about the header tags and how they should be used for SEO.
H1 Tag Definition and Introduction
Six header elements, H1 to H6, of descending decreasing significance. The H1 header tag is of utmost importance for your web document. Its use should be limited to once per page ideally for the title of the page. After the H1 tag, other tags follow in succession as subcategories.
< H1 Tag for the Headline of the post that followed by text >
< H2 Tag for the subheading of the first subsection followed by text >
< H3 Tag as a sub-sub-heading for the first section followed by text >
< Either a H4 Tag for the sub-heading for the previous sub-heading >
< or an H2 tag for the sub-heading for the second section could follow this >
In most web documents, there are more H2 tags, and fewer H3, H4 tags. H5 and H6 header tags would be very rare.
It is preferred not to go deep into short web documents, as it would lead to disorganization and misdirection from your content’s objective. For longer documents, apart from H1 and H2 heading tags, H3 and H4 sub-heading tags are needed.
Purpose of Header Tags – H1 and H2 Heading Tags
The main purpose of header tags is to deliver content in a reader-friendly format. Categorization by means of different heading styles would enable the reader to follow the flow of the article and understand it better. An outline format would also help in easy retrieval of content.
The H1 and H2 heading tags will be your webpage’s main points for focus. They are the first things that users will notice about your page and hence have to be appropriate. The following SEO header tags will deal with specific details and optimization.
Proper Use of H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6 Heading Elements for SEO
Using keywords, the right way is the first lesson in SEO. Once you have a list of potential keywords, you will have to categorize them into four categories, focus, primary, secondary, and tertiary.
The Focus Keyword is the most important of them all and can only be used once. For this reason, the focus keyword is included in the titles, H1 and H2 heading tags, preferably the H1 Tags SEO. They are also included in the Meta descriptions for search engines.
The frequency of your header tags cannot be compromised upon. It is important to maintain the structure of your elements to ensure that your content has a solid backbone.
How Many H1 Tags per Page?
Use only H1 header tag for a webpage. You can use multiple subheadings in the form of H2, H3 subheadings as per your needs to structure your document. Your SEO for ideal search engine result position circles around the way you use your H1 and H2 heading tags, primarily your H1. Incorporating the keywords that appear in your content into your title too will enable you to rank higher and attract a better audience.
Most web designers look to use their business name or tagline as their H1 tags. For this reason, HTML5 offers liberty to the designer to have multiple H1 tags on the same web page design. This feature was not available in previous versions of HTML.
Google has advanced its search parameters with semantic search with Google Hummingbird. With semantic search, google can interpret your meaning by the use of your words instead of just plain addition of an out of context word as a keyword. Hummingbird will identify the intention of the phrase you use and related it to a keyword.
With Hummingbird in place, you can use a longer key phrase instead of a short keyword in the headline to optimize with Google’s search engine algorithm. This intensifies the need to use better H1 heading tags for your content and make them count.
How many keywords can be used?
How Many H2 Tags per Page?
For levels beneath the H1 title tag, you will have to use H2 and following tags. H2 header elements are used the most among the other five header tags. Follow with H2, H3 header tags after you are done with H1 for titles. Do not skip tags, as your document will lose structure and clutter.
If you use an important keyword in your H3, H4 header instead of your H2, search engine bots will give it lesser importance. H2 header tags can be used for subtitles with detail information, whereas the H3 or H4 levels can be used for lists with bullet pointing.
For SEO header tags other than H1 and H2 heading tags, search engines do not signify them. They can be used for deeply research content wherein content compartmentalization is necessary.
To Conclude
For efficient SEO, it is important that you follow hierarchy with H1 and H2 heading tags and use consistent formatting. Proper Use of H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6 heading elements offers your content a pattern that can be followed by the reader easily.
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