AI-generated illustration
Using H1 to H6 correctly: Heading structure for SEO, readability and scanningHeadlines rank thoughts, expectations, and topic hierarchies on the page
Headings describe the content hierarchy of a page. Your HTML level should result from this structure; the desired font size is then defined in the design.
An understandable structure can also be read without flow text. Reused components must fit the level of their location.
Separate main topic, section and subtopic
A manual has a central topic and several work steps. A product overview, on the other hand, has a selection as main content and under it individual teasers. Therefore, the same teaser element cannot automatically be the main heading of the entire page everywhere.
Check the published page including navigation and mobile variants. The editor does not always show all the headings that theme and plugins add later.
A simple comprehensible structure
The H3 sub-points are part of the preparation. A smaller font would not be a reason to use it without this relationship. Conversely, an H 2 can be designed to be optically restrained and still open a main section.
<h1>Fahrradbremsen warten</h1>
<h2>Vorbereitung</h2>
<h3>Werkzeug bereitlegen</h3>
<h3>Bremsentyp bestimmen</h3>
<h2>Beläge kontrollieren</h2>
<h2>Funktion sicher nachprüfen</h2>Examine the existing side
- Read all the headlines actually issued in order.
- For each entry clarify whether it is a theme or just a decorative label.
- Differentiate duplicate page titles from theme and content.
- Check reused cards, accordions and menus in the overall context.
- After correction, compare the outline on different page types.
No pure counting optimization
Several H1 or one level jump is not automatically a proven ranking loss. A purely numerical correction can even deteriorate the structure if it misclassifies meaningful content.
Short contact pages do not artificially require all levels from H1 to H6. Choose as many sections as the content actually makes sense.
Frequent questions
Does each side have to use all six levels?
No. The levels are a means of hierarchy, not a list to be processed.
Can a headline look smaller than an underlying one?
The design is possible separately from the HTML tag. For users, the visual hierarchy should still remain understandable.