H1, H2 and H3, how to use headings to improve the reading of both Google and users
We say this for a long time now: modern SEO copywriting is a mix of analysis, on-page SEO skills, ability to do keyword research and creativity, and writing SEO today does not mean focusing only on keywords to try to intercept the liking of search engines, but take a number of user-focused strategic actions, even if they do not have a direct effect on ranking. In this perspective also includes the management of heading and paragraphs, from the famous h1 to the h2, h3 and so on, which often risks to be performed badly or not to be fully understood.
What h1, h2 and h3 (up to H6) are
The headings are the textual elements with which we visually and semantically indicate the titles, through which we can set the architecture and organization of the text of a page, thus influencing the reading and understanding of the content for both users and search engines. In practice, they are the tools with which we can define and describe the various topics and sub-topics that we deal with within the content.
The HTML language with which web pages are encoded defines six levels of titles, introduced by the letter h which is the initial heading, in fact; this means that to organize the contents of a web page we have available and we can use h1, h2, h3 tags, but also h4, H5 and H6. The progressive number clarifies that these tags have hierarchical ordering: therefore h1 is the highest level and H6 the least important; classically, the H1 element is associated with the title of the piece that appears on the page, while h2 is used as a sub-title for paragraphs along with h3 and possibly h4; H5 and H6 are rarely used, but can help you to format very long articles.
A header element implies changes to the font, as the font used by these elements must be higher than that of the body copy, and paragraph breaks before and after; in some texts, moreover, heading helps to create internal menus.
What headings are for
Readability and usability of articles, both for users and for bots: these are the two positive effects that derive from an effective use of headings, which are useful because they help readers and Googlebot to quickly understand, with a single glance, the focus of that paragraph and that section of the content.
More precisely, we can say that headings are essential for browsing on-page content , as clarified by an experiment on screen readers that we had reported some time ago, and at the same time a conscious use of the hierarchy of titles allows us to communicate better and earlier the content of a page and the way ideas are grouped, thus making it easier for users (and search engines) navigate, understand and interpret the information and the page itself.
It is therefore not a matter that expressly concerns the EES, but rather the basic rules of writing and content management, as well as common sense. And just look at a text with well-organized heading tags and one that is not formatted in paragraphs to realize immediately the difference, especially in terms of usability: even with the same information, the text without subdivision (and no variety graphics) will always appear as a “brick“, a single block of complex reading.
How to insert heading tags inside the text
The first step to writing SEO articles – but, in reality, to write content of any kind – is to have clear in mind what the structure to give to the text, assuming its architecture and drawing its structure: In this way, we can immediately determine what are the topics to cover, what space they need and, above all, what hierarchical relationship binds them.
Built this framework, it becomes easier to insert the various headings, which will naturally serve to divide the various paragraphs and eventually introduce insights on the topic that may intrigue and interest the reader (and respond to the intent search identified by Google).