H1, H2 and H3: how to organise your website's headings for Google

If anyone has ever told you "your website has no H1", it is not just jargon. H1, H2 and H3 headings are the titles on each page, marked by level so that anyone, person or machine, can understand how the content is organised.

What each level is: H1, H2 and H3

Think of a book:

• H1 is the title of the page. One per page, saying what it is about: "Pelvic health physiotherapy in Bristol".
• H2 are the chapters: "What we treat", "Your first session", "Prices".
• H3 are the sections within a chapter: under "What we treat", "Pregnancy and postnatal", "Incontinence".

There are H4, H5 and H6, but a small business website rarely needs them.

Why H1 and H2 headings matter

• For your visitors. Almost nobody reads a website top to bottom: they scan for what they need. Good headings are road signs.
• For Google. The H1 and H2s confirm what the page is about and which questions it answers. It is not magic, but it helps Google show you for the right search.
• For AI assistants. ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity read a page in blocks. A clear heading followed by a clear answer is easy to understand and to quote.
• For accessibility. People using screen readers jump from heading to heading to move around a page. More in web accessibility.

How to write a good H1 and H2

• Make them say something. "Our services" is fine, but "Physiotherapy treatments we offer" tells more.
• Use your customers' words. If people ask "how much is a session?", an H2 saying "How much a session costs" answers exactly that.
• Keep them in order. An H2 is followed by an H3, not an H5. Do not skip levels because you like a smaller font.
• Keep them short. A heading is not a paragraph.

Mistakes I see with H1 and H2 headings

• No H1 at all, or the logo marked as the H1 on every page.
• Several H1s because the design uses that style for any large text.
• Headings used for formatting: a sentence marked as H2 just to make it big and bold. After all, you change the looks with design, not with the heading level.
• Text inside images. A title that is a picture cannot be read by Google or a screen reader.

How to check yours

In your browser, right-click a title and choose "Inspect": you will see whether it is an h1, h2 or h3. There are also free extensions that show the heading outline of any page in seconds.

How I do it

On Nueva Página websites every page has a single H1 and its H2s and H3s arranged around its content, using the words people search with, without sounding robotic. It is part of the basic SEO in every plan, along with the title and description for Google.

H1 and H2 headings on a service page: an example

Think of a hair salon's page about balayage highlights. The H1 would say what the whole page is about: "Balayage highlights in Clifton". Then the H2s would organise what the client wants to know: "What balayage is", "How long it lasts", "Price" and "How to book". Finally, under "Price", an H3 could separate short and long hair.

That way, visitors find their answer at a glance, and Google understands the page without doubt. In addition, the W3C explains in its tutorial on accessible headings why this order also helps people using screen readers. To see how it fits with the rest, read one page per service. A good heading outline is, at heart, a good table of contents.

Frequently asked questions

Can a page have more than one H1?

Technically yes, but it is not a good idea. One per page is clearest for everyone.

Should the H1 match the Google title?

Not word for word, but close. Otherwise, if they say different things, Google is unsure what the page is about.

How many H2s should a page have?

As many as the content needs. A service page usually has between three and six.

Will my pages have proper H1 and H2 headings?

Yes. At Nueva Página every page has a single H1 with its H2s and H3s in order, as part of the basic SEO in every plan. See the plans in the cost calculator.