Blog Post

Most people see the H1 tag as just “a bigger font at the top of the page.”
I see it as the first handshake between your page and Google—and between your content and the reader.

Here’s the thing: your H1 tag doesn’t just help with formatting. It helps with clarity, discoverability, and performance. And in 2025, where search engines and users both crave relevance, your H1 tag has never mattered more.

Let me break down how I use H1s to anchor on-page SEO, align with user intent, and boost content readability—without overcomplicating it.

• What an H1 tag actually is
  
• Why it plays a bigger role in SEO than most people realize
  
• My best practices for writing H1s that perform
  
• Mistakes I still see (and fix) regularly
  
• How to check and improve your current H1 setup
  

If you’re not familiar with HTML or header tags yet, I recommend reviewing my guide on header tags first.

An H1 tag is the primary heading of your page. Think of it as your page’s headline.

In HTML, it looks like this:

html

CopyEdit

<h1>Your page’s main title goes here</h1>

Search engines look to the H1 tag to understand:

• What the page is about
  
• What topic it’s targeting
  
• Whether it aligns with the user’s query
  

Users glance at it and decide: “Am I in the right place?”

So no pressure—but your H1 needs to do a lot in one line.

Search engines scan the H1 to determine what the page focuses on. It’s one of the strongest on-page signals—and when used properly, it supports:

• Keyword relevance
  
• Featured snippet qualification
  
• Page context for Google and screen readers
  
• SERP alignment with the page’s meta title
  

If your H1 clearly reflects the main topic, it reinforces the page’s relevance. If it doesn’t—well, you’re sending mixed signals.

I don’t just write for bots—I write for people. And when someone lands on a page, the H1 is the first visual signal of what’s ahead.

Here’s what I aim to do with my H1:

• Confirm the reader’s intent
  
• Match or closely align with the title shown in search
  
• Set the tone for the rest of the content
  

A strong H1 increases time on page. A weak one makes people click the back button.

Over the years, I’ve refined a simple system that works across blogs, service pages, landing pages, and more.

I can’t stress this enough. Each page should have one—and only one—H1. It’s the top-level heading. Everything else should nest under it using H2s, H3s, and so on.

If someone searched “how to optimize blog posts,” your H1 should say exactly that—or something very close. Clear beats clever every time.

No keyword stuffing. Just a natural inclusion of the main topic. This helps reinforce relevance without sounding forced.

Would you click on a link with your H1 as the title? Would you read more after seeing it?

Good H1:

How to Optimize Meta Titles and Descriptions for More Clicks
Bad H1:
Meta Title Description Optimization Guide Strategy for Click Rates

If it reads like it was built for bots, rewrite it for humans.

Let’s run through some red flags I catch during audits.

Some websites assign H1s to every heading “because it looks bold.” This confuses search engines and dilutes the page’s topic.

Fix: Make sure only your main heading uses <h1>. Everything else should use <h2> and below.

If your title tag says “Top 10 SEO Tips for 2025” but your H1 says “Digital Strategies Worth Exploring,” you’ve got a mismatch.
And your user (and Google) will feel it.

Fix: Keep your H1 and meta title aligned. They don’t have to be identical—but they should clearly support each other.

Yes, I still find this. Especially on sites where the designer built everything with divs and forgot basic structure.

Fix: Use your CMS or HTML editor to ensure each page has an actual H1 tag. Not just text styled to look like one.

Adding multiple keywords won’t help. It’ll just make your heading unreadable.

Fix: Choose one main topic per page. Focus your H1 around that.

This confuses people, so here’s how I explain it:

• Title tag: Appears in Google search results and browser tabs
  
• H1 tag: Appears on the page itself as the visible headline
  

They often contain the same keyword and share the same theme—but they’re not the same thing. And yes, you can make them slightly different to target variation and engagement.

Example:
Title tag: Meta Tags 101: Titles & Descriptions That Get Clicks
H1 tag: How to Write Meta Tags That Boost CTR in 2025

Both are aligned. But they’re written for different placements and purposes.

Here’s what I check before publishing any page:

• Only one H1 used
  
• H1 matches or supports the page’s title tag
  
• Includes the target keyword once
  
• Reflects the topic clearly and naturally
  
• Makes sense to both search engines and readers
  
• Is followed by a logical H2 structure
  

If I’m building a content strategy or refreshing old posts, the H1 is always one of the first elements I update.

Want to check your own site’s H1 setup?

Here’s what I use:

• Ahrefs Site Audit or Screaming Frog (to find pages missing H1s or with duplicates)
  
• Web Developer Toolbar (a browser extension that highlights header tags)
  
• Google Search Console (to monitor how updated H1s affect performance)
  

Bonus: If you’re on WordPress, SEO plugins like Yoast or Rank Math will alert you when H1s are missing or misused.

The H1 tag isn’t just a technical requirement—it’s a strategic asset.

It helps your content:

• Show up more accurately in search
  
• Resonate with readers at first glance
  
• Stay organized and accessible for everyone
  

So yes, your H1 matters more than you think. And if it’s vague, missing, or misused, it might be hurting your rankings and your readers’ trust.Want help reviewing your site’s header structure? I handle this in every on-page SEO audit I run. Because fixing a weak H1 is one of the easiest SEO wins you can grab today.