A header tag, or HTML tag is used to divide up the different headings in a page’s content. They are hierarchically structured from H1- H6 with H1 being the main header and the subsequent tags being the subheadings.
Header tags are essential components for good SEO, this is due to a range of reasons.
Header tags also aid Google Crawlers with their crawling and indexing of your site and help them understand whether or not your page is relevant to the searcher’s query. Webmasters can use header tags to cater to search intent.
There are some best practices to follow if you want to get the most out of your header tags.
This is important. You can’t have more than one H1 tag, this should be used to introduce all of the content on a single page. Make sure every page has a H1 tag too, and don’t let them dominate the page. Adjust the font size so it doesn’t overwhelm the content.
H2 tags break up the text further and zone in on the different topics included within the content. The rest of the headers are supplementary subheadings that delve into subtopics.
While this won’t have a huge impact, it’s still worth doing because the crawlers will pick up on it. However, don’t keyword stuff the header text, instead conduct in depth keyword research and integrate the relevant target keywords into your header.
Optimising header tags is a really great way to appear in featured snippets. Targeting long-tail keyword search terms, and providing comprehensive but concise answers to these search terms largely increases your chances.
Make sure that every H1 tag that you use is unique. Duplicated content is always a no-no. Keep it fresh and original, and don’t be afraid to get creative with it. Compelling content leads to more engagement and higher dwell time.
There are a few different tools out there can help you check your header tags.
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