Article 
Why Using Correct Headings is Vital to Your Website

 

 

What Are Headings? <h2>

Headings are crucial for well-organized and user-friendly websites. They structure content, enhance readability, aid accessibility, and help with SEO. But in the vast majority of sites, they are almost always used incorrectly. The following is a breakdown of why headings are important and how they should be used effectively.

How Headings are Used <h3>

There are six heading tags, from <h1> (most important) to <h6> (least important). These headings should always be used in a logical, consistent order without skipping levels. This approach ensures an optimal user experience and adheres to web design best practices.

Heading Guidelines: <h4>

• Generally, you should only use one h1 per page
• All other tags can be used multiple times, but avoid using excessive amounts of heading tags per page
• Headings have meaning, so they shouldn’t be used to stylize text

Why are Headings Important? <h2>

Accessibility <h3>

Website headings can help enhance accessibility for several reasons:

1. Structure and navigation: Headings provide a clear content structure on a web page. They create a hierarchy that visually breaks down complex information, making it easier for all users to follow. For users using assistive technology like screen readers, well-structured headings are essential to navigate and understand the content efficiently.

2. Screen reader compatibility: Screen readers rely on properly coded headings to recognize sections of a web page and convey the content structure to users with visual impairments. Skipping heading levels or improper use of headings can make it hard for screen readers to interpret the web page correctly, negatively impacting users who rely on these assistive technologies to navigate the site.

3. Scanning and skimming: Headings allow users, especially those with cognitive or reading impairments, to scan and skim through the web page more easily. By providing quick overviews of sections, headings reduce cognitive load and help users find the information they need with minimal effort.

4. Semantically meaningful: Since proper headers use HTML tags (e.g., h1, h2, h3), they inherently carry semantic meaning within the content. Adequate use of header tags on a web page not only conveys the meaning of the text but also ensures that the website's content conforms to accessibility guidelines (like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or WCAG).

5. Search engine results: Search results may rely on headings to generate better results for users with screen readers or users searching specific topics. Ensuring headings are descriptive and accurate will improve user experiences in search results and maintain accessibility.

6. Text scaling and visual formatting: Proper use of headings can help users adjust text scaling or visual formatting when using tools like magnifiers, high contrast modes or customized style sheets, making content more accessible to people with low vision or other visual impairments.

For more information, read the WCAG Success Criterion for headings.

Hierarchy <h3>

Web headings are important for hierarchy as they serve to organize and structure the content on a web page, making it easier to comprehend and navigate for both human users and search engines. Here are some key reasons why web headings play a crucial role in establishing hierarchy:

1. Content structure: Headings divide a web page into clearly identifiable sections, breaking down complex information into manageable chunks. They allow users to understand the main topics and subtopics covered on a page and their relative importance, which makes it easier to find the information they need.

2. Search engine optimization (SEO) benefits: Search engines use headings to understand the architecture of a web page and evaluate the relevance of the content to keywords or search queries. A well-structured hierarchy with optimal use of headings, including appropriate keywords, can help improve page rankings in search results.

3. Visual cues: By styling headings with different sizes, weights and colors, web designers communicate the hierarchy of the content visually. The largest heading, h1, typically denotes the main topic or title, followed by decreasing sizes for h2, h3, and so on, to represent subheadings and section headings. This visual differentiation helps users grasp the organization of the content quickly.

4. Logical organization: A well-defined hierarchy helps users process information in a logical sequence. When headings are used thoughtfully to organize content, users can follow the information flow step-by-step and build a better understanding of the overall subject.

5. Improved readability and scannability: Good heading hierarchy enables users to skim and scan content effectively. Readers can quickly locate relevant sections and get a general idea of what the page covers by reading the headings. This is especially important when users have a specific goal or question in mind and want to find relevant information quickly.

6. Consistent user experience: Employing a consistent heading hierarchy throughout a website ensures that users find it easier to navigate and familiarize themselves with the content. As a result, they have a more pleasant and cohesive user experience.

Readability <h3>

If your page is hard to read, users will move on quickly. In fact, the average time spent on a page is only 53 seconds. Web headings, when used correctly, enhance  readability in several ways:

1. Content organization: Headings help to break down and logically organize the content on a web page into distinct sections, making it easier for readers to comprehend and process information.

2. Scanning and skimming: Headings serve as signposts that make scanning and skimming content more manageable. Users can easily identify and navigate to sections of interest quickly and efficiently without needing to read the entire text.

3. Visual separation: Headings offer visual separation between sections, making the content less overwhelming for users. It ensures that large blocks of text are broken down into smaller, more digestible portions, which improves overall readability.

4. Creating emphasis: Headings often use different font sizes, styles, colors, or weights to emphasize their importance compared to other content on the page. This emphasis helps guide readers through the hierarchy of the content, drawing their attention to key points and making the content easier to follow.

5. Context and understanding: Headings provide context and a clear understanding of the subject matter for each section, ensuring readers know what to expect as they read through the content. As a result, the user can quickly decide whether the information is relevant and useful, contributing to better readability and user satisfaction.

6. Short attention spans: In the age of digital content overload, internet users often have short attention spans, and headings help grab their attention by providing a clear outline of the content, making it more engaging and readable.

SEO <h3>

Web headings are important for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for several reasons:

1. Content hierarchy and structure: Headings help search engines understand the content hierarchy and structure of a page. By using various heading levels (h1, h2, h3, etc.), you signal the relative importance of content sections and topics, allowing search engines to accurately index and rank your pages.

2. Keyword targeting: Headings provide an opportunity to include relevant keywords that users might search for, giving search engines a better understanding of your page's focus. By incorporating the right keywords into your headings, you increase the chances that search engines will rank your page higher in search results for those keywords.

3. Context and relevance: Headings improve the context and relevance of your content for search engines. Succinct and descriptive headings provide a summary of the section they indicate, which helps search engines determine whether the content is valuable and topically relevant for users.

4. User experience: SEO not only depends on keywords and content relevance but also on providing an excellent user experience. Headings improve readability and navigability, which contribute to a better user experience, making it more likely that users will engage with your content, share it, and link to it. These factors are all taken into account in search engine ranking algorithms.

5. Featured snippets and rich results: Properly structured headings can increase your chances of appearing in featured snippets or rich results on Google and other search engines. Featured snippets are often generated from well-organized content, including headings that accurately describe the information within the sections they introduce.

6. Crawlability: Headings can improve the crawlability of a web page. Search engine bots, such as Googlebot, rely on headings to better understand the content and its hierarchy. Properly structured headings can make it easier for these bots to index your site and potentially improve your search engine rankings.

Visual Design <h3>

Web headings help improve the visual design of a page in a few different ways:

1. Hierarchy and organization: Headings play a crucial role in visually organizing content, establishing a clear hierarchy, and guiding users through the flow of information. They create a visual structure that helps users understand the relationship between different sections and elements on a web page.

2. Readability and emphasis: Headings make content more readable by breaking up large blocks of text into smaller, manageable sections. They provide emphasis by using different sizes, weights, or colors to draw attention to essential points and convey the importance of various content pieces.

3. Aesthetics and branding: Headings contribute to the overall aesthetic of your web design and help establish a consistent visual language throughout your website. They can be styled with bespoke fonts, colors, and decorations that align with your brand identity, enhancing the site's visual appeal and creating a cohesive brand image.

4. User engagement: Visually engaging and well-designed headings can grab a users' attention and encourage them to explore your content further. By capturing interest and facilitating easy comprehension, visually appealing headings reduce the likelihood of users quickly leaving the site (bounce rate) and increase the time spent engaging with the content.

5. Accessibility and responsiveness: Headings play an essential role in responsive and accessible web design. By ensuring headings are clear, legible, and easily distinguishable from other content, you cater to users on a wide range of devices and those with visual impairments, further emphasizing the importance of headings in visual design.

6. Navigation and wayfinding: Headings can also contribute to a website's navigation by acting as landmarks that help users quickly orient themselves and locate the information they need. In well-designed web pages, users can quickly scan headings to find a specific section or return to a previous point of interest.

Conclusion <h2>

Using a clear structure and appealing design helps content creators and designers reach a broader audience, including those with visual or cognitive challenges. Web headings improve reading experience, boost SEO, and enhance search engine visibility. By carefully creating and using headings, you can achieve higher user engagement, better user experience and a stronger online presence.

BrandExtract helps businesses inspire belief by aligning their corporate and brand strategies. If you’re looking for help optimizing your website for readability, SEO and user experience, don’t hesitate to reach out. Or, explore some of our other insights:

• Five UX Tips to Strengthen Your Brand
• How Web Accessibility and Usability Go Hand in Hand
• Why Usability Testing is Important to Your Site