How HTML Headings Help SEO - Practical Ecommerce

HTML headings are phrases or short sentences introducing a new section of content.

Google has confirmed that headings help communicate the content’s purpose. But search engine optimizers often debate how, exactly, Google uses those headings.

Code Is Overrated

The heading markup code — H2, H3, H4 — doesn’t matter as much as many SEOs believe. A logical hierarchy is helpful — H2 followed by H3 followed by H4 — but Google doesn’t necessarily require it. Any relevant code that creates meaningful structure is acceptable.

Google’s guidelines on the proper use of headings don’t mention a preferred code. Instead, the guidelines encourage clear, short subheadings in the active case without gerunds.

Otherwise, Google recommends descriptive headings that help users navigate the content. And that’s also why headings are beneficial for SEO: They structure content so search crawlers can understand it quicker and better.

When HTML Headings Help

HTML headings help Google generate informative organic snippets, which increases search visibility, as follows.

Featured snippets. Subheadings can provide an answer to a search query. In my experience, a subheading followed by an answer is often all it takes to win a featured snippet.

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Conventional snippets. Google frequently includes subheadings as the snippet description. Here’s an example.

Mini sitelinks. Using subheadings for an on-page table of contents can earn mini sitelinks in search results. This tactic applies to...

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