When it comes to H1 tags and SEO—structure, readability, and accessibility matter. But somewhere along the way, basic HTML conventions got turned into rigid SEO rules—most of which don’t hold up under scrutiny. This post aims to reset expectations with evidence, not SEO folklore. Here we cover:

What is an H1 Tag?

The H1 tag is the primary heading element in HTML. It represents the main topic of a page and is typically the most visually prominent text on the screen. It’s important for structuring content clearly—for users, assistive technology, and search engines. It’s a helpful way to signal what the page is about, but it’s not the only way.

Top 4 Heading Tag SEO Best Practices

The most common heading tag issues we see can be solved by following these four tips:

HTML Header Tags Hierarchy — Proper heading structure

Use one clear <h1> to introduce a page’s content—not because search engines require it, but because it provides a clear starting point for users and assistive tech.
Make it descriptive and relevant to the topic.
Use heading hierarchy (<h2>, <h3>, etc.) for subsections.
Write headings for clarity—not keyword density.

These simple best practices help with readability, accessibility, and logical page structure—all of which indirectly support SEO by improving user experience.

But let’s be clear: there is no magic SEO boost just for using an H1, or for including the right keyword in it. And Google will not penalize a page if you or your drag-and-drop CMS add multiple H1s—see the myths section below.

What Google’s SEO Guide Says About Headings

Google’s official SEO Fundamentals documentation includes the following notes about headings:

Clear structure helps readers, and that helps search engines. It’s about usability, not formula.
Google understands imperfect HTML. While semantic order helps screen readers, Google won’t penalize for hierarchy.
Don’t count headings. Just use what feels clear and structured. If your content feels bloated, fix the message—not the markup.
Google asks this as a quality check, not a rule. Clarity beats keywords every time.

H1 Tags vs Title Tags: Know the Difference

A page’s H1 tag can differ from its HTML title tag, or what’s typically used for the title link in search results. Often they’re similar, but they serve different roles—one is for the page itself, the other for how it appears externally.

For example, on this page:

The H1 is the article heading you see above: The Part You’re Supposed to Read First
The title tag is: What is an H1 Tag? SEO Best Practices & Common Myths

	H1 Tag	Title Tag
Purpose	Structure on-page content for clarity and accessibility	Represent the page in search results and browser tabs
Location in HTML	<h1> inside the <body> section	<title> inside the <head> section
Audience	Written primarily for people reading the page	Written for search engines and users scanning SERPs or link previews
Search Influence	Helps search engines and AI systems understand on-page structure	Determines how the page is displayed in search results, AI summaries, and social previews.
Common Use	Introduces the main topic once visitors land	Summarizes the entire page for search and sharing

Note: In contexts like Google News, matching the <title> tag and <h1> can help Google display the intended headline. But this is about presentation—it doesn’t affect whether an article appears in Google News, and has no impact on regular search rankings.

Common H1 SEO Myths

Many misconceptions about H1 tags come from SEO tools and CMS plugins that flag things like “multiple H1s” as problems. These warnings date back to a time when search engines relied more heavily on strict HTML structure to understand page content.

But today’s search engines use advanced language models to interpret meaning, context, and relevance—regardless of how perfectly a page follows old markup rules. A page can rank with multiple H1s, or even none, as long as the structure is clear and the content meets intent. Still, outdated assumptions—repeated by tools, checklists, and AI assistants—continue to drive the confusion many beginners have about headings.

Important: While good heading practices improve usability and accessibility, they are not a magical fix for SEO performance. As the myths below show, headings support structure—not rankings—and tweaking your H1 tag alone won’t rescue a poorly performing page.

Myth 1: You can only have one H1 heading per page. 

Reality: Google’s video from 2017 clearly states multiple H1s are “not a problem.” Yes, use headings to structure content clearly—but having more than one H1 is fine.

That might sound like news to some, but it’s been obvious to anyone who’s watched pages rank in the real world. For example, this site has used an older template since 2013 that wraps the logo in an H1—so every page technically has had multiple H1s from the start. Structurally, the content remains accessible and readable, and it’s never caused issues.

A 2019 video from Google also explained: “Your site is going to rank perfectly fine with no H1 tags or with five H1 tags.”

But even direct statements from Google don’t stop the checklist SEO panic, so we built this page with multiple H1s to drive home the point. And yes, the page still performs. Because from an SEO perspective, it simply doesn’t matter.

Want to see your own heading markup? Most browsers let you right-click and choose “View Page Source” or “Inspect.” There’s also a simple W3C bookmarklet that provides a quick visual of a page’s headings—useful for accessibility checks.

Myth 2: A page needs a keyword in the H1 tag to rank. 

Reality: Google has stated repeatedly that headings help with understanding page content—not rankings. Google doesn’t need a keyword in a heading tag to surface a page. What matters is how well the content answers the query—regardless of how the main heading is phrased.

Case in point: the main H1 on this page contains zero keywords. No mention of “H1,” “SEO,” or “headings.” Yet here you are.

Reasons to Use Clear Headings

Even though Google doesn’t require a single H1 or exact keywords in headings, here’s a few reasons why clear headings matter in the real world:

Clean heading structure supports accessibility. Screen readers rely on heading levels to navigate content. Using one main H1 and logical subheadings (H2s, H3s, etc.) helps everyone—visually and technically.
Headings shape comprehension. While rankings aren’t tied to H1s, strong headings can improve comprehension and engagement. That improves scannability, retention, and perceived quality.
As an example, you might’ve been a little thrown when you landed on this page and didn’t see a heading like What is an H1 Tag? or Heading Tags and SEO. That slight moment of disconnect? That’s what you don’t want to cause for your readers.
A descriptive alternative to our heading could be How H1 Tags Actually Work—still not keyword-stuffed, but clearer about the page’s purpose. We went more abstract to prove a point, but your own pages will likely prioritize clarity over cleverness.
Google might use your H1 as a search title. While Google primarily shows your title tag in search results and Google Discover, it might use your H1 or other prominent text if:
- The HTML <title> tag is vague, missing, or too long
- The <h1> better represents the content
- There’s a clearer or more engaging headline on the page

So while your H1 doesn’t influence rankings directly, it’s still worth writing thoughtfully and in alignment with your content.

Consistency helps at scale. If you’re managing hundreds of pages, a consistent heading structure can make maintenance and audits much easier.

At the end of the day, strong headings, consistent formatting, and clear structure all contribute to a more trustworthy page. The problem comes when these details are treated like checkboxes in an audit—turning useful structure into SEO busywork.

Focus on clarity and usefulness, and your headings will take care of themselves.