An H1 tag conveys to readers and Google crawlers what the primary topic of your web page is. On the backend of your website, you are able to add H1, H2, H3 tags, and so on in a hierarchical order. This gives your visitors clarity about which concept is being covered and why they resonate with the broader title or user interest.
In short, the main purpose of headers is to logically organize content in a structured manner. This blog will explore best practices for H1 tags and SEO, along with detailing some actionable insights that improve your auditing efforts.
Table of Contents
What Is H1 Tag?
You need an HTML script (hypertext markup language) to add an H1 tag to your page. This tag will outline the primary topic of your webpage.
There’s only one H1 tag per page, and to add H1 headers, you will follow this pattern:
<h1>Page Title</h1>
But Do Not Confuse H1 Tags For Title Tags
H1 tags and title tags usually contain the same textual phrase. However, there’s a minor difference between them from an SEO perspective and a CMS viewpoint (Content Management System).
- What is h1 tag?
H1 tags are what visitors see on the top of the page in an enlarged text. With an exception for rare cases, they don’t appear on search results unless Google truncates headers. - What are title tags?
Title tags appear on the result pages of the Google search engine. They do not reflect on your webpage content.
Why H1 Tag Matters?
Google hasn’t confirmed h1 tags as one of the ranking factors or SEO parameters, but why do digital marketers still stress on their importance?
- H1s are Useful for Search Engine Crawlbots:
Based on the H1s, search engines can extrapolate what your webpage is about. The more it describes what aspects your page covers on a given topic, the better! - H1s Make Your Page User-friendly:
This feature allows users to determine whether the webpage content aligns with their interests or not, as well as educates them on how your page stands out from the competing pages regarding content depth or concepts explored. - H1s Enhance Webpage Accessibility:
All header tags, including h1 tags, allow users with visibility issues to comprehend your pages better.
This leads us to believe that SEO and H1 tags are deeply interlinked, regardless of Google’s official stance.
H1 Tags SEO – 4 Best Practices
Here are practices that improve your H1 SEO!
1. H1 Vs. H2 Tags:
Even though your content would be restricted to only one H1 per page, you can still divide your webpage into various H2s, H3s, and so on. This makes it easier for readers to get the gist in just a single glance!
- Target Primary keyword via H1s:
The primary keyword is the main topic that your webpage covers. 60-80% of your topic should contain the primary keyword, and the remaining should only give a gist of how your page stands out from rivals. Pages with primary keywords as their H1s tend to rank better - Incorporate LSIs in your H2s:
Here are places to look for LSIs – or Related Keywords
1. “People also ask” section of Google search results.
2. “AnswerThePublic” tool, to find popularly asked questions in the form of longtail keywords.
3. On semrush/moz/Ahrefs, you will find LSIs in the “related terms” section for the primary keyword.
2. Length of H1 Tag
The best practice is to restrict both – the Title tags & H1 tag – To 50 or 60 characters.
Why are we asking you to restrict the character limit?
- In rare cases, Google will replace your page title with an H1 tag from your textual content.
- Search results also display limited characters.
- So, even if the Google Website Guidelines do not enforce any technical limit, we recommend having a consistent character limit for both H1 tags and the title tag.
3. Optimizing H1 Tags and Title Tags for More Clicks
- Keep your H1 tag and title tag same:
Even if you add a title to your webpage, Google can still reflect some other header tag on the search result pages – Google tends to replace title tags with H1 tags especially. So keep H1 tags same as title tags to prevent truncation. - Crisp, Clear, and Convincing:
Ensure that your h1 and title tags are true to what your webpage offers, they shouldn’t deceive users. Additionally, make them descriptive enough to entice users. For instance, if “SEO tips” is the primary keyword, then your h1 tag and title tag will be “10 SEO tips With Tools & Steps 2024.” - Can the H1 tag and Title tag be different?
In most cases, both tags are the same, but there are exceptions to this criteria—say if your title has a value proposition that you don’t want to be revealed in the search results or if you don’t want your content h1 to highlight your brand name the way your title tag does.
4. Don’t Stuff Keywords
Don’t use header tags or title tags as an opportunity to stuff keywords.
- Ensure that you add only one keyword, i.e. Your primary keyword.
- Do not add 2 or more. Google hates keyword stuffing and is especially strict with H1 tags and title tags.
How to Check Header Tags? 3 Methods
Headers can be checked in seconds, either manually or via tools. If you want to save time, check them out!
1. View the Source Code (Manual)
- Right-click anywhere on a webpage, and click on “View Page Source.”
- This action will open a new tab, which will contain the source code of the said page.
- Use the keyboard shortcut – Cntrl+F – and then type “<h1> tag”
2. Use a Tool
- You can also leverage the “Site Audit” tool from 3rd party websites such as Moz, Ahrefs, and Semrush! It would provide a comprehensive website health report, and point out H1 tags.
- Open a 3rd party website of your choice, and copy-paste your domain URL before clicking on “site audit.”
- This will lead to a visual dashboard displaying your site’s overall health issues.
- Clicking the “issues” tab will open a more detailed list highlighting all the problem areas.
- Type in “h1” in the search bar. This will reveal all the H1 errors on your website.
- You can also install some browser extension that highlights the H1 tags on any page you visit, such as “H-tag.”
3. Receive Auto-generated Report for H1 Audit
- Go to the top right corner of your “Site Audit” dashboard and click the gear icon.
- Locate the “Schedule” option and make the necessary adjustments.
- Now you will be able to set your preferred day, which could be any day of the month.
- Tick the “send an email” option and click save.
- This will ensure that you receive monthly reports via mail for a broader SEO audit, including H1 errors.
Adding H1 Tag In 3 Different CMS Software
CMS is an acronym for “Content Management System.” They create websites for enterprises. There are many CMS players to explore, but the top three players that have dominated the digital landscape in recent times are Wix, WordPress, and Squarespace.
Here is how you can add H1 tags or headers on each!
1. WordPress
- The “title” field on a WordPress post would be the blog topic and your H1 by default.
- To change the header tag of any text, just highlight it, and choose the desired header from the pop-up toolbar!
2. Squarespace
- Highlight the text you want to turn into an H1.
- Locate the “formatting” button on the left side of your toolbar.
- Select “Heading 1” if you want to utilize the h1 tag, or choose any other option from the remaining header tags.
3. Wix
- The title of your blog post automatically becomes the H1 tag.
- Unlike the former 2 CMS software, Wix doesn’t offer the option to convert any subheader into H1.
To explore website layouts and SEO practices on different platforms (content management systems), you can always consult your nearest experts!
Conclusion – Are H1 Tags Important?
H1 tag is undeniably an important factor for SEO-friendly content, so following these tips will ensure that your blogs are accessible to a vast majority of users and will even avoid potential issues with header truncation. Our tools and strategies will also prevent you from running into any H1 tag error. Aside from H1 tags – SEO practices involve basic as well as technical aspects, so it’s best to approach experts!
