How to Structure Headings (H1 to H3) for Better Rankings

Headings are the signposts on your page. They tell readers where they are, what’s coming next, and where to jump when they’re short on time. They also tell search engines how your page is organised, what each section covers, and how the pieces fit together.

A clean H1 to H3 structure won’t “hack” Google, but it does something more useful: it makes your content easier to understand in seconds. That usually leads to longer reading time, cleaner snippets, and fewer people bouncing back to the search results.

This guide gives you a practical structure you can copy today, plus a few sharp rules that stop common heading mistakes before they spread across your site.

Start with a clean page outline, what Google and readers need

Picture a reader landing on your article with one eye on the kettle and the other on their phone. You’ve got about five seconds to prove you’ve got what they came for. Your headings do that job.

The goal is simple: a page that scans well and reads in a straight line. That’s true for humans, and it’s also true for search engines that try to work out what the page is “about” and how completely it answers the query.

A helpful way to plan is a topic tree:

• Trunk (H1): the main topic, the promise of the page.
• Big branches (H2s): the key sections readers expect.
• Small branches (H3s): the supporting points that complete each section.

When this tree is tidy, you don’t need clever tricks. You need clear labels. Google hasn’t announced major, recent changes to heading tags as of January 2026. The basics still matter: structure, clarity, and meaning.

Here’s a quick checklist you can use before you write a word of body copy:

If you’re not sure where to start, read your page title and ask, “What are the 3 to 4 things someone must understand to feel satisfied?” Those become your H2s. Everything else supports them.

H1 is the page promise, keep it single, clear, and close to the main keyword

Your H1 is the front door sign. It should match what the searcher wants, not what you want to show off.

Rules that keep you out of trouble:

• Use one H1 per page.
• Keep it close to the core keyword, but write it like a human.
• Keep it short enough to read in one breath.

Also, your H1 and your title tag can be similar, but they don’t need to be identical. A title tag might be slightly more “SERP-friendly”, while the H1 can be slightly more natural on-page. For deeper background on why H1s still matter, see Moz’s explanation of H1 tag best practices.

Two quick examples for this topic:

• Good H1: “How to Structure Headings (H1 to H3) for Better Rankings”
• Weak H1: “Everything You Need to Know About Headings and SEO”

The weak version is foggy. “Everything” doesn’t help anyone scan, and it doesn’t signal the exact skill the page teaches.

H2 headings are the main chapters, write them like answers people want

If the H1 is the promise, your H2s are the chapters that keep the promise. They should match the big follow-up questions a reader has after they’ve typed the query.

Strong H2s often follow simple patterns that feel like direct answers:

• How-to pattern: “How to build an H1 to H3 hierarchy that ranks and reads well”
• Checklist pattern: “A heading checklist for new pages”
• Mistakes pattern: “Common heading mistakes that quietly hurt rankings”
• Examples pattern: “Heading examples you can copy”

Use these patterns when they fit your content, not because they “sound SEO”. When the wording matches what people actually want, it tends to fit search intent better, and it’s easier to write a clean section beneath it.

How to build an H1 to H3 hierarchy that ranks and reads well

A good heading structure is planned, not patched in later. If you try to “fix headings” after writing, you’ll usually end up with random sections, repeated phrases, and headings that don’t match the paragraphs beneath them.

Use this workflow before you write:

1. Pick the main query you’re answering (one page, one primary job).
2. Write your H1 as a clear promise.
3. List 3 to 4 core H2 sections that a reader expects.
4. Add 1 to 2 H3s under each H2 to cover the supporting points.
5. Write the section content to match the headings, not the other way around.
6. Re-scan the page like a stranger. If the headings alone don’t make sense, edit them.

Two important guardrails keep this neat:

• Don’t skip heading levels.
• Don’t use headings as a styling tool. If you want bigger text, use CSS, not an H2.

If you’re wondering how much headings “matter” in rankings, the best way to think about it is this: headings help Google understand the page, and they help people stay on the page. Both are useful. Moz has also run practical tests on this, including an H1 SEO experiment that shows headings aren’t magic on their own, but they’re part of a healthy on-page setup.

A simple rule, never skip levels, and keep each H3 tied to its H2

Skipping levels means jumping from H2 straight to H4, or using H3s without a parent H2. It’s like putting chapter 3 under chapter 1, then wondering why the story feels off.

Here’s a short bad example (structure only):

• H1: How to structure headings for better rankings
• H2: Plan your outline
• H4: H1 rules
• H2: Common mistakes

What’s wrong? “H1 rules” is clearly a sub-point of “Plan your outline”, but it’s labelled as H4. That breaks the hierarchy.

A corrected version:

• H1: How to structure headings for better rankings
• H2: Start with a clean page outline
• H3: H1 is the page promise
• H3: H2 headings are the main chapters
• H2: Common heading mistakes (and how to fix them)

This isn’t only an SEO thing. It’s also an accessibility thing. Screen readers use heading order to let people jump through the page. When your headings are in the wrong order, your page becomes harder to use, even if it looks fine visually.

Use keywords in headings without stuffing, write for meaning first

Keywords belong in headings, but not like graffiti on a wall. The job is meaning, not repetition.

A simple placement rule works well:

• H1: include the core topic once, naturally.
• H2s: include related subtopics (often close variants).
• H3s: include supporting detail, tools, checks, examples.

You don’t need to repeat “structure headings H1 H2 H3 for better rankings” in every line. That reads badly, and it often makes headings less useful.

Mini do and don’t examples for this topic:

• Do: “H2 headings are the main chapters, write them like answers people want”
• Don’t: “H2 Headings SEO H2 Headings Best SEO H2 Headings”
• Do: “Common heading mistakes that quietly hurt rankings”
• Don’t: “Heading tags SEO mistakes heading tags SEO errors heading tags SEO issues”

When you want extra keyword reach, use plain-English variants that keep the same idea: “page structure”, “content outline”, “heading hierarchy”, “on-page layout”. If it sounds like something a real editor would publish, you’re on the right path.

Write headings that earn clicks and keep people reading

Ranking is only part of the job. Your headings also shape what happens after the click. If the page feels messy, people leave, even if your information is good.

Headings that hold attention share a few traits:

• They’re specific, not generic.
• They feel useful, not decorative.
• They match what the section actually delivers.

Keep most headings to one line where you can. Long headings can work, but only if they stay clear. If you need a longer phrase, make sure the first few words carry the meaning, because that’s what the scanning eye catches.

Numbers can help, but only when they add meaning. “3 checks before you publish” is helpful. “7 powerful strategies” is usually vague.

If you’re writing sections designed to win snippets, headings matter even more. A clear question-style H2 or H3 followed by a tight answer can set you up well. Moz’s guide on optimising content for featured snippets shows how structure and formatting can support snippet-friendly answers.

Make headings specific, so each section has a clear job

A heading should carry one idea. If it tries to carry three, your section becomes a jumble.

Vague headings often sound like these:

• “Tips”
• “More information”
• “Things to know”

They don’t tell the reader what they’ll get. They also make it harder for search engines to map the section to a subtopic.

Sharper versions do two things: they name the topic, and they hint at the benefit:

• “Heading mistakes that stop Google understanding your page”
• “How to choose H2 topics from search intent”
• “A quick heading checklist before you publish”

A fast test: read only your headings, top to bottom. Can you guess what you’ll learn from each one, without reading the paragraph beneath it? If not, rewrite until the answer is “yes”.

Format for scanning, short lines, parallel phrasing, and consistent tone

Your headings should feel like they belong to the same page. When one H2 is a question, the next is a fragment, and the next is a full sentence, the page feels patched together.

Simple formatting habits fix that:

• Use sentence case (it reads more naturally).
• Keep punctuation simple. Use a colon only when it helps.
• Use parallel phrasing across H2s where it fits (for example, starting with “How to…” for multiple sections).
• Don’t turn headings into paragraphs. If it needs two lines and three commas, it might be two headings.

Also, add a brief lead-in line under each heading (one or two sentences). It reassures the reader they’re in the right place, and it makes the page feel smoother.

Common heading mistakes that quietly hurt rankings (and how to fix them)

Most heading problems aren’t dramatic. They’re quiet, repeated habits that spread through templates, page builders, and rushed edits.

The big ones show up again and again:

• Multiple H1s on one page.
• Headings packed with repeated keywords.
• Headings used purely to make text bigger.
• Thin sections where the heading promises more than the content delivers.
• Duplicate headings that appear twice on the same page.

The good news is you can fix most of these in an hour, without redesigning the site. Start with your top pages. Clean the headings, then re-read the page like a first-time visitor.

Multiple H1s, duplicated headings, and ‘bold text’ pretending to be structure

Multiple H1s often happen because of themes and page builders. A template might wrap the logo, the page title, and a hero banner in separate H1s. To a reader, it looks fine. To a machine, it looks muddled.

Duplicate headings cause a different problem. If you have two “Conclusion” sections or two “Pricing” headings, the page feels repetitive and less organised.

Fixes that work without drama:

• Check your page in your CMS and confirm there’s one H1.
• Use CSS classes for styling instead of misusing H2 or H3 tags.
• Rename repeated headings so each section has a distinct job.

Moz has discussed the “one H1” idea for years, and while multiple H1s won’t always ruin a page, keeping a single, clear H1 still makes the structure easier to interpret. If you want extra context, see Moz’s discussion on H1s and H2s as the right tool.

Too many headings or too few, find a balanced rhythm

Headings need breathing room. Too few headings makes a long page feel like a wall of text. Too many makes it feel jumpy, like channel-hopping.

A practical rule of thumb for a 1,500-word post:

• 3 to 4 H2s total
• 1 to 2 H3s under each H2
• At least 80 to 120 words under most headings (more is often better)

Tiny sections feel unfinished. Endless headings feel noisy. If you notice lots of H3s with only one short sentence under them, merge sections or expand the content so each heading earns its place.

Conclusion

A strong heading structure is simple, but it’s not casual. Use one clear H1 that matches the search intent. Build H2s as the main chapters a reader expects, then use H3s for the supporting points that make each chapter complete. Don’t skip levels, don’t stuff keywords, and don’t use headings as a design shortcut.

Take ten minutes before your next post and outline the topic tree first. If the headings read like a clear mini-table of contents, you’ve already done half the work, for rankings and for readers.