Lesson 8
Writing Clear, Useful Headings
What you’ll learn
By the end of this lesson, you’ll know:
What makes a heading effective
How to write headings that help readers and search engines
When headings add clarity — and when they don’t
Headings are signposts, not slogans
A good heading tells the reader:
“This section covers this.”
It doesn’t need to:
- Be clever
- Be vague
- Build suspense
Headings are functional.
Their job is clarity.
What makes a good heading
Effective headings are:
- Specific
- Descriptive
- Honest about what follows
For example:
❌ “Getting Started”
✅ “How to Update Page Content Safely”
The second tells the reader exactly what to expect.
Match the heading to the content
A heading should accurately describe the section beneath it.
Problems arise when:
- The heading promises one thing, but the content delivers another
- A heading is too broad for the content
- Multiple sections use similar headings for different ideas
If the heading and the content don’t match, trust is lost — for users and search engines.
Use natural language
You don’t need to:
- Force keywords into headings
- Repeat the same phrasing across the page
- Optimise every heading
Instead:
- Write headings the way you’d explain the section to a colleague
- Use plain, natural language
- Be specific where possible
Search engines are good at understanding variations in wording.
Headings should stand alone
A useful test:
If someone skimmed only the headings, would they understand the page?
If the answer is yes, your headings are doing their job.