Have you ever looked at a website and felt like you were staring at a giant wall of text? You know the ones: same font type and font size throughout the entire page. You feel relieved just making it to the next paragraph because reading it is like a chore!
Well, that’s where heading tags come in, they don’t just break up the page visually, they are an essential part of SEO too!
Watch the accompanying video below & scroll down to read more!
Okay, so first of all: What is a Heading Tag?
A Heading tag is used to divide text up on your web page. They range from H1 tags (which is usually the biggest and boldest font), to H2 tags (the second biggest & boldest) right the way down to H6 tags.
Most importantly though, heading tags on your website are an essential part of SEO. They allow search engines like Google to READ, CATEGORISE and INDEX your page.
And you can’t just add them ad-hoc, there is specific job for each of the heading tags and having them in the correct order is key!
Allow me to explain.
Using Heading Tags in the Correct Way
Imagine your website is a fantastic book. You wouldn't just throw all the information into one giant paragraph, right? That would be a nightmare to read! Heading tags work just like the chapters and subheadings in a book. They break down your content into clear sections, making it easy for visitors (and search engines) to understand what your website is all about.
So, if your website is like a book, how do heading tags come into it?
H1: The Big Title
Think of this as the main title of your book. There should only be ONE H1 tag on each webpage. Keep it relevant to the content and include those oh-so-important keywords to grab everyone's attention. This is especially important on your service and product pages (or any page where you are looking to convert to a purchase, booking or download etc.)
Example: If you are a massage therapist and one of your services is ‘Pregnancy Massage’ then this would be a good keyword to include in your H1 title tag for that specific service page.
H2: The Chapters
Once you have your Title (H1) in place, you should look to break the page down further into sub-headings (H2’s). These work like chapters in a book, they make it easier for the reader to know what information to expect under each sub-heading and for search engines to understand more about this page.
Example: With our aforementioned ‘Pregnancy Massage’ service page, A good H2 heading for that page might be something like ‘What are the Benefits of Pregnancy Massage’.
H3: Subheadings and Key Points
Imagine these as subheadings within a chapter. Use H3 tags to highlight important points within your H2 sections. This keeps your content organised and helps readers find the specific information they're looking for.
Example: When looking at the key benefits of pregnancy massage, we can list each reason as an H3 header tag with a paragraph below explaining each point. So in this instance an H3 might be ‘Easing Pelvic Pain’ and perhaps ‘Creating a Bond with your baby’.
H4-H6 Headers
To be honest, it's rare that you'll need H4, H5 or H6 headers. Well okay, occasionally H4's can work as an important sub-sub heading, but I wouldn't lose any sleep if I wrote something without an H4!
Common Mistakes to Avoid with Heading Tags
Here's a heads-up (pun intended!) on some common mistakes people make with heading tags:
Generic H1s:
Don't waste your H1 with generic greetings like "Hi, I'm Jo." Search engines can't categorise your website based on greetings. Instead, use keywords that describe your products or services. Furthermore, although it may seem friendly, your potential clients or customers would rather you just get to the point and tell them what you’re offering!
Heading Tag Jumbles:
Heading tags should be used in a clear order, with one H1, followed by relevant H2s, and then H3s for subheadings. Don't just throw whatever Heading tag you want in there just because the size of font looks better on the page. If your H1 is too big, reduce the font size – don't sacrifice it for an H3!
The Clearer the Better:
Make sure your headings accurately reflect the content of your sections. Don't be afraid to use keywords naturally but prioritise clarity for your readers first.
Keywords are....Key!
Keywords play a very important role in structuring your web page because knowing what people are typing into Google in order to find services and products like those that you offer is essential.
That's where SEO keyword tools from the likes of SE Ranking or Semrush come in. These tools can help you research what potential clients & customers are typing into search engines to find the services and products that you provide. Not only that, they will help you come up with "keyword clusters", which are groups of similar keywords that can be used on the same page.
Help with your Keywords
Okay, I can see you looking at me like I've asked you to climb Mount Everest in your flip flops! I admit that if research and "techy stuff" aren't your thing - then you may need a bit of help.
If you'd like me to do all of the research for you, then my keyword research service will supply you will all of the keywords you should use for each page of your website to help boost your traffic.
Alternatively, if you'd love to know how to do it yourself and would prefer to be trained, then I can teach you in a 60 minute one to one call - showing you exactly how to perform this research, what you need to look for and how to select each keyword.
Please book a free call with me, or get in touch if you're interested.
Get Started with Heading Tags
By using heading tags strategically, you'll create a website that's not only informative but also easy to navigate for both humans and search engines.
So go forth and conquer the world of heading tags! And if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.
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