Lesson 7
H1 vs H2 vs H3: Clear Rules (No Myths)
What you’ll learn
By the end of this lesson, you’ll understand:
What H1, H2, and H3 headings are for
How they should be used on a page
Which common “rules” are outdated or misleading
What headings actually do
Headings help:
- Search engines understand structure and hierarchy
- Readers scan and navigate content
- You organise ideas clearly
They are structural tools, not ranking tricks.
The role of the H1
The H1 is the main heading of the page.
It should:
- Describe the primary topic of the page
- Match the page’s overall purpose
- Appear once in most cases
Think of the H1 as:
The title of the document, written for humans
It does not need to:
- Exactly match the page title
- Contain keywords unnaturally
- Be overly long or clever
Clarity matters more than optimisation.
The role of H2s
H2s break the page into major sections.
They:
- Support the main topic
- Introduce subtopics
- Help readers scan the page
Each H2 should represent a clear subsection of the page’s main idea.
If the H1 answers:
“What is this page about?”
Then H2s answer:
“What are the key parts of this topic?”
The role of H3s (and beyond)
H3s are used to:
- Break down H2 sections further
- Group related ideas within a section
They should only be used under an H2, not on their own.
You don’t need to use H3s on every page.
Use them when they help clarity — not because you feel you “should”.
Common myths to ignore
You may hear that:
- You can only have one H1 (usually true, but not worth stressing over)
- Headings must include keywords
- Heading order affects rankings directly
In practice:
- Structure and clarity matter far more than strict rules
- Search engines are flexible
- Humans are not
Write for humans first.
A simple hierarchy to remember
Most pages work well with:
- One H1
- Several H2s
- Occasional H3s
If the structure makes sense when you read it out loud, you’re doing it right.