Heading hierarchy
What is heading hierarchy?
Heading hierarchy is the nested order of a page’s headings, from H1 down to H6, so that each heading level reflects its place in the content’s outline. An H1 introduces the page, H2s divide it into main sections, H3s split those sections, and so on, like the numbered levels of a table of contents.
A clean hierarchy matters most for accessibility: screen reader users often jump between headings to navigate, and skipped or misused levels make that confusing. Google uses headings to understand the structure of a page, but has said that heading order isn’t something it penalises, so the reason to get it right is mainly clarity for people.
Hierarchy applies to the HTML levels, not how headings look. You can style an H3 large or an H2 small with CSS. The H1 tag sits at the top, and the full set of header tags should read like a sensible table of contents if you list them on their own.
Why heading hierarchy matters for SEO
A logical outline helps readers skim to the part they need and helps search engines match sections of a page to specific queries, which can support featured snippets.
Accessibility guidelines (WCAG) expect headings to convey structure, so a clean hierarchy helps you meet them.
How to fix heading hierarchy
- Start with one H1 for the page topic.
- Use H2 for main sections and H3 only inside an H2 section.
- Avoid skipping levels, such as going straight from H2 to H4.
- Don’t use headings for visual styling or for sidebar and footer labels that aren’t part of the content outline.
- Review the outline with a browser extension or accessibility checker.
Heading hierarchy example
H1 Snake plant care → H2 Light → H2 Watering → H3 How often to water → H3 Signs of overwatering → H2 Repotting.
Heading hierarchy FAQ
Does skipping heading levels hurt SEO?
Not noticeably. Google has said heading order isn’t a big factor. It does make the page harder to use with assistive technology, so it is still worth fixing.
Can I use an H3 without an H2?
It is valid HTML, but it breaks the logical outline. Use the level that matches the section’s place in the structure.
Related SEO terms
Header tags (H1–H6) are HTML headings that structure a page into sections, helping readers scan and search engines understand the content.
An H1 tag is the main heading of a web page. It tells readers and search engines what the page is about, and most pages should have one.
Readability is how easy a text is to read and understand, shaped by sentence length, word choice, structure and layout.
A featured snippet is a highlighted extract from a web page shown near the top of Google’s results to answer the query directly, with a link to the source.
On-page SEO is optimising the content and HTML of each page, such as text, title tag, headings, images and internal links, to rank and earn clicks.