Structure of headings

What we check

We read all headings of the home page (H1 to H6) in their order and check two things:

• Skipped levels: if a heading is followed by one that is more than one level deeper, for example H2 directly followed by H4, we report it.
• Many headings, little text: from eight headings on, we work out how many words there are on average per heading. If there are fewer than 15, this suggests that design elements are marked up as headings.

Both result in a note, not a serious defect.

Why it matters

Headings are the table of contents of a page. Google uses them to recognise which topics the page covers and how they relate. AI assistants use the structure to understand sections and to quote them precisely. People with screen reading software jump from heading to heading, just as others skim a page.

Many website templates misuse headings for looks: phone numbers, button texts or "Learn more" sit in the code as H4 or H5 because the type is then large and bold. For Google and screen readers this creates a structure without meaning.

How to fix it

Structure the page like a document:

H1  Landscaping in the Zürcher Oberland
  H2  Our services
    H3  Garden care
    H3  New gardens
  H2  About us
  H2  Contact

• Use one H1 for the main topic.
• Introduce every large section with an H2, subsections with H3.
• Do not skip a level downwards.
• Mark up only real section titles as headings. Slogans, contact details and button texts are normal text that may be styled large.

WordPress and page builders

In Elementor, Divi and similar builders every heading widget has a setting for the HTML tag (H1–H6, "div", "p"). For pure design texts choose "div" or "p" and keep the look through the font size.

Wix, Jimdo, Squarespace

The text formats "Heading 1" to "Heading 6" correspond to H1 to H6. For large texts without a structuring function use a paragraph format and increase the font size.

How to check it yourself

Browser extensions such as "HeadingsMap" show the structure of a page as a tree. Gaps and meaningless headings stand out immediately.

Frequently asked questions

May I use H3 without having an H2 before it?

Better not. H1 is followed by H2, H2 by H3. Jumping back is allowed, though: after an H3 an H2 may follow again when a new section begins.

I want to display a text in large type. Is it then not a heading?

Only if it introduces a section. For large type for design reasons there are text formats or CSS. This keeps the structure clean.