Did you know that 25% of small businesses don’t make use of H1 tags? That’s 25% of SMBs failing to make the most of a practical and easily accessible tool that could make a huge difference to their SEO performance! H1 headings and their impact on SEO shouldn’t be overlooked. They’re one of the key considerations for search engine ranking and help maximise the capabilities of on-page SEO, so learning their best practice is crucial for success.
What are H1 headings?
H1 headings are the building blocks of any good website. They’re a type of HTML tag that indicates a heading on a website and the title of your webpage across search engines.
Because of this, H1s have a dual purpose: to make your website readable and tidy for your users, and to improve search engine optimisation (SEO), hence, your digital reach.
Are there other headers?
There are several types of header tags, hierarchically organised, from H1 to H6. These headers are usually formatted from the largest and most important (H1) to the smallest and least important (H6). And it is this largest one and its on-page SEO capabilities that we’ll focus on in this article.
Example
To create an H1 header, you need to wrap your text in the correct tags – so, start with an opening H1 tag (<h1>), type your header text, and then finish with a closing H1 tag (</h1>). Now, here’s an example of an H1 tag in practice. For this webpage, the H1 tag is as follows:
<h1>H1 tags and SEO: What are H1 tags and why are They so Important?</h1>This indicates to the browser (and its users) that the page will cover the value of SEO and how H1 tags are important to optimising it.
As you’ve seen at the top of the page, headers also affect the layout of the page as the H1 tagged text is formatted in a different style to the body text. In this way, it functions exactly like editors such as Microsoft Word and WordPress where you can format headings using different styles such as “Heading 1”.
Why should I be using H1s?
Now, you must be thinking “what is it about H1s that make them so important”? Let me explain:
SEO
H1s are a brilliant tool for SEO as they help search engines parse a webpage and understand its contents.
Using the information contained in the H1 heading (this includes keywords), search engines read the HTML code and identify what the page is all about. With this insight, search engines rank the page accordingly.
With the right wording across your heading tags, you can effectively tell Google what your content covers and drive users to towards your page, improving discoverability massively.
Navigation
Headings help organise your webpage which, in turn, improves user experience.
By introducing visual hierarchies to the page, you can help guide the reader’s eyes to follow the chronology of your content, make it more digestible and highlight key information.
These factors combined make a huge difference and will reduce bounce rates for your site.
Accessibility
Headers are also crucial for accessibility. They’re a lifesaver for screen readers, so including them wherever possible is great practice.
What is the best practice for H1 tags in SEO?
H1s are frequently misused, so it’s good to be ahead of the game. Here are some of the dos and don’ts of implementing H1 headings across your website.
Dos
Use at least one H1 per page
Each page should have its own H1. While having multiple H1s won’t affect your ranking, it could be confusing for users who navigate your site. Ensure that you’ve considered visitors’ perspectives.
Organise and style your headings hierarchically
Ideally, your H1s should pop. Make sure that the important headings stand out and are styled in a way that helps your users navigate your site.
Include at least one keyword
Keywords help search engines identify and predict the content of your page. Include relevant and targeted keywords to improve your ranking and define content for your users.
Anticipate audience intent
When users are searching for web pages, they want to know what they’re clicking on. Make sure your purpose and intent are clear in your H1 tags.
Ensure H1 and title tags are similar
While your H1 and meta title don’t need to be identical they should both ideally include your keyword(s) and convey the same message.
Write for users, not search engines
While keywords help search engines crawl and rank your page, it’s more crucial that a user understands what the page is about, and as fast as possible.
Don’ts
Exceed 70 characters in your H1
Expert opinion is that your H1 tags shouldn’t be any longer than 70 characters. You want your H1s to be concise, succinct and punchy. And they should fit on the page!
Include an excessive number of keywords
While stuffing your H1s with keywords may be tempting, it is detrimental to your search presence and will only put off your users. Remember, your headings should be compelling and relevant to visitors.
Repeat H1 tags
Your H1s should be unique to each page; duplicating content is considered bad practice.
To wrap things up
If you’re not using H1 tags already I hope this has convinced you of their importance. H1 tags are a crucial aspect of SEO and if executed well draw traffic to your site. Not only do they enhance user experience, but they help make webpages more accessible, reducing bounce rates.
H1 headings are easily implementable, so you really have no excuse not to use them to take your SEO skills to the next level and gain an edge over your competition.
