Originally published: January 2, 2022 · Last updated: August 16, 2026
HTML headings give a page structure. They help readers scan, help assistive technologies navigate and help search systems understand how sections relate to one another. Their value comes from meaning and hierarchy, not from repeating keywords in heading tags.
Use headings to describe the page structure
A heading should introduce the section that follows. If someone reads only the headings, they should still understand the main path through the page.
That makes descriptive headings more useful than vague labels such as “More”, “Information” or “Other”.
Start with one clear page topic
For most articles and pages, the main page title functions as the H1. Subsequent major sections use H2, and subsections inside them use H3, continuing only as deep as the content actually requires.
You do not need six levels simply because HTML provides H1 through H6.
Keep the hierarchy logical
A logical outline makes the relationship between sections easier to follow. If an H3 appears, it should normally belong under the preceding H2. A subsection inside that H3 can use H4.
Do not choose an H4 because it happens to look smaller. Visual styling belongs in CSS or the design system; heading levels communicate document structure.
Avoid skipping levels when practical
W3C accessibility guidance recommends nesting headings by rank, with lower-ranked headings introducing subsections of higher-ranked sections. Keeping the sequence predictable helps users who navigate by headings understand where they are in the page.
Complex applications can have exceptions, but ordinary editorial content rarely needs irregular jumps.
Headings are useful for screen-reader navigation
Many assistive-technology users can navigate directly between headings or inspect a list of headings to understand the page. A visually large sentence that is only a styled paragraph does not provide the same semantic structure.
Likewise, using a heading element only to make ordinary text larger adds false structure.
What headings do for SEO
Headings can help make page content easier for search systems to interpret, but they are not a ranking formula. There is no useful reason to force the same exact keyword into every H2.
Write headings for the reader’s task. Natural descriptive language will usually contain the relevant terms where they belong.
Do not turn headings into keyword containers
Weak: “WordPress SEO Best WordPress SEO Tips”
Better: “Build useful internal links”
The second heading tells the reader what the section does. Search optimization should improve clarity rather than damage it.
Check what your WordPress theme or builder outputs
Page builders and themes can add their own headings in templates, widgets, archive titles and navigation components. Inspect the rendered page rather than assuming the heading level selected in one editor is the whole document structure.
This matters particularly on landing pages where several visual modules may each have been configured independently.
Use headings consistently in long articles
For a longer guide, heading structure can also support a table of contents and in-page navigation. Keep labels concise enough to scan but specific enough that each section is distinguishable.
A practical heading checklist
- The page has one clear main topic.
- Main sections use a consistent H2 level.
- Subsections use H3 and deeper levels logically.
- Heading levels are chosen for structure, not font size.
- Headings describe what follows.
- No keyword stuffing.
- Styled paragraphs are not used as fake headings.
- The rendered page is checked after theme or builder changes.
The practical rule
HTML headings are an outline for humans and machines. Use them to express the real hierarchy of the page, then style that hierarchy visually. Clear structure improves reading, accessibility and maintainability without requiring any heading-tag tricks.
Official reference: W3C WAI guidance on page headings.