SEO - Headings

Today I learned that the headings on a web page are not just for looking pretty and making a title for a page. It is for SEO (search engine optimization). Search engines use Heading 1 on any given page to sort through. While it's important to create a page that is visually pleasing, the text that is "Heading 1" is what the search engine grabs while doing a search. From a visual perspective Heading 1 doesn't have to be the largest text on the page. It should be at the top, so a person understands why a photo of shoes is showing up in a search for puppies. Make Heading 1 descriptive of the page. If you need more than two words to describe the page, then use a smaller font. For search purposes you could even hide Heading 1 or make it the same color as the background, so it isn't seen when a person sees the page. (That's why when you put in a search for shoes, men's t-shirts show up! People are putting all kinds of hidden words on their pages to get search engines to show their pages in your search!)

As search engines become more sophisticated, Heading 1 can be more descriptive. For example, Weight Loss can be rewritten as Weight Loss for Women over the age of 65. 'Weight Loss' can be large and at the top but be labeled as Heading 2 or 3. 'Weight Loss for women over the age of 65' can be lower case, a smaller font, the second title on the page and labeled as Heading 1. The Heading 1 label is what the search engine will pick up.

In the web page tool that I use it's Heading 1. It may be called something else in different tools. Just be sure to read through the documentation your hosting site has on SEO settings. It can be illuminating. And it doesn't hurt to brush up even if you are an experienced web page builder. Search engines have evolved so be more specific so you never know what you might learn.