Why Heading Structure Still Matters for SEO (and Always Will)
In nearly every SEO audit I run, heading structure pops up as a major problem.
Sometimes a site doesn’t have an H1 tag at all. Sometimes there are three H1s on a single page. Sometimes there’s a jumble of H4s before a single H2 ever shows up. But the worst? When the headings are actually just images of text, which means bots, screen readers, and search engines can’t read them at all.
And lately, I’ve seen something else: custom themes that make it impossible to add an H1 without modifying the code.
These are small mistakes that have a big impact, not just on SEO, but on how users (and large language models like Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT) understand your page.
Let’s break down why heading structure matters, what mistakes to avoid, how bots actually read your site, and what to do if your platform is working against you.
What Is Heading Structure (And Why Does It Matter for SEO)?
Think back to how you used to take notes in school.
Remember taking notes like this? Your web pages work the same way.
You’d give your page a title: that’s your H1.
You’d have main sections or topics: those are your H2s.
Then you might break those down even further with bullets or details: those are your H3s, H4s, and so on.
That’s exactly how search engines and readers scan your website.
Headings help:
Humans quickly understand what a page is about
Search engines understand content hierarchy and topic relevance
LLMs summarize content better when headings are clean and logical
Screen readers make your content more accessible
When your heading structure is off by missing tags, skipped levels, or image-based titles, you’re making it harder for both people and bots to read and rank your page.
Common Heading Structure Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
If I had a dollar for every time I found one of these issues in a client’s SEO audit, I’d have a sushi lunch fund for life. These heading problems are easy to overlook but can seriously impact how your content is understood by both people and search engines.
1. No H1 Tag at All
This usually happens when a theme or template doesn’t assign an H1, or when a designer removes it for aesthetic reasons.
Why it’s a problem:
The H1 tag is the main title of your page. It tells Google (and readers) what the page is about. Without it, you’re missing a key ranking signal.
How to fix it:
Make sure each page has one (and only one) H1 tag.
In most platforms (like WordPress or Shopify), the page or post title is automatically the H1, but double-check using Inspect Element or an SEO tool.
If you're using a builder or custom theme, ask your developer to ensure H1 tags are included where they should be.
2. Multiple H1 Tags on a Page
Some templates use H1 tags for headlines throughout the page, especially for styling purposes.
Why it’s a problem:
Technically, Google can handle more than one H1, but it can muddy the waters. Ideally, your H1 should be the one main topic of the page. Everything else should be nested under H2s and H3s.
How to fix it:
Limit yourself to a single H1 per page: the title.
Change any other H1s to H2s or H3s using your CMS or by editing the HTML directly.
Use CSS to style H2s if you want them to visually match the H1 without affecting structure.
3. Skipped Heading Levels (Poor Hierarchy)
You might see a page go from an H1 straight to an H4, or have a bunch of H3s without any H2s to introduce them.
Why it’s a problem:
Heading tags are meant to reflect the structure of your content, like an outline. Skipping levels makes it hard for bots and users to follow the logic of your page. While this isn’t a huge deal, you should still follow best practice if you can.
How to fix it:
Use H2 tags for each major section under your H1.
Use H3s to support or break down the content inside an H2.
Don’t jump around (e.g., H1 → H4 or H2 → H5). Keep the structure logical and nested.
4. Using Images Instead of Actual Headings
This one’s painful: A beautifully designed heading... that’s just an image of text.
Why it’s a problem:
Search engines and screen readers can’t read text that’s baked into an image. That means your important keywords aren’t counted, and your content isn’t accessible.
How to fix it:
Use real HTML text for all headings, and style them with CSS if needed.
If you must use an image with text for design reasons, include a matching HTML heading tag above or below the image (and alt text is not a substitute!).
5. Platform or Theme Limitations
Some themes, especially custom ones, don’t even give you the option to add an H1. I recently worked with a Shopify site where I had to manually edit the JSON and Liquid files to allow H1s in rich text blocks.
Why it’s a problem:
If your platform limits your ability to use semantic heading tags, it limits your SEO potential, period.
How to fix it:
Audit your theme to make sure heading options (especially H1s) are available in your page builder or CMS.
Ask your developer to separate structure from style. Let headings do their job structurally, and handle the design with CSS.
Why Search Engines (and AI) Rely on Heading Structure
When a human lands on your website, they scan. Their eyes go straight to the bold titles, the big section headers, and anything that visually breaks up the text. If your headings are clear and well-organized, your reader instantly gets a sense of what your page is about and whether it’s worth sticking around. Here’s how people scan web pages visually (via Nielsen Norman Group)
Search engines work the same way… but instead of eyes, they use code.
Google’s bots don’t “read” your page like a human. They scan the HTML for semantic tags—like H1, H2, and H3—to understand:
What the page is about (your H1 tag)
What the major sections cover (your H2s and H3s)
How deep or detailed the content is (based on hierarchy and structure)
Whether the page aligns with search intent
In short: your headings help bots build a map of your content.
But it’s not just traditional bots anymore.
As search engines increasingly integrate AI-powered overviews, large language models (LLMs) are parsing your pages, too. These models summarize content, extract answers, and even decide which sections to highlight or feature in a generative result.
And they rely heavily on headings to do that correctly.
If your page lacks proper heading structure (or worse, uses none at all) you’re making it harder for these tools to understand your content, which means:
You’re less likely to show up in AI overviews
You might get skipped in rich results and answer boxes
You’re missing out on visibility in the evolving SERP
Want to go deeper?
Here’s Google’s official guidance on heading tags.
Best Practices for Heading Structure (That Actually Help Your SEO)
When your headings are structured well, your page becomes easier to read, easier to scan, and easier to rank. Here are the guidelines I give my clients, and follow myself, when building or optimizing content:
Use One H1 Per Page
Every page should have exactly one H1 tag. This is your main title. The headline that tells search engines and readers what the page is all about.
Pro tip:
Your H1 should naturally include your primary keyword or phrase. If the page is about “Seattle kitchen remodeling,” that should be reflected in your H1.
2. Use H2s for Major Sections
Think of H2 tags as the “chapters” of your content. They break the page into sections that support your main topic and help both users and bots navigate your ideas.
Example:
If your H1 is “Beginner’s Guide to SEO,” your H2s might be:
What is SEO?
Why SEO Matters
How to Start Optimizing Your Website
3. Use H3s (and Lower) Only Within Proper Nesting
H3s, H4s, and so on should only be used when they live inside an H2 section. If you think of H2s as chapters, H3s are like subheadings or subsections within those chapters.
Heading tags should follow a logical order. For example:
✅ H1 → H2 → H3
❌ H1 → H4
❌ H2 → H5
Avoid this mistake:
Jumping straight from an H2 to an H4 without an H3 in between. Keep the hierarchy clean and predictable.
Skipping levels confuses bots trying to understand your structure and makes the content visually and cognitively harder for humans to process, too.
4. Use Headings to Include Keywords (But Keep It Natural)
Headings are one of the best places to include relevant keywords, but don’t force it. A heading stuffed with keywords reads poorly and may do more harm than good.
Instead:
Use variations of your target keyword
Phrase headings as questions when helpful
Think like your reader: What would make them want to keep reading?
5. Never Use Images of Text for Headings
This is worth repeating. If your headings are part of an image (even a beautiful, branded one), search engines cannot read them. You’re missing out on SEO value and making your content inaccessible to users who rely on screen readers.
Fix it:
Always use real HTML heading tags for structure. If you want a fancy visual heading, pair it with an accessible, keyword-rich text heading right above or below.
Headings Are Not Just Formatting, but a Critical SEO Foundation
Good heading structure isn’t fluff. It’s foundational SEO.
If you want to show up in Google, be included in AI overviews, and make your site easy for real humans to navigate, start with your headings.
Need help figuring out what’s going wrong on your site?
I offer website SEO roadmaps, and heading structure is always one of the first things I check.
