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  • Using Subheading Tags to Improve SEO

    How to Use Subheading Tags to Improve SEO

    One of the most overlooked aspects of blogging is actually one of the most important for ranking in search engines: sub heading tags.

    Many bloggers spend a lot of time on their content, but neglect to use any type of heading tags and sub header tags.

    This can lead to decreased rankings in search engine results pages.

    Header (H1 tag) and sub header tags are a significant ranking factor.

    In this blog post, we will discuss what these important sub header tags are and how you can use them on your website for increased SEO.

    What are Subheading Tags?

    What are Subheading Tags?

    The purpose of sub heading tags is to show the reader different areas within a blog post. They are designed for readers who might not want to read all of your content or you may just have too much information and need some help structuring it in an organized fashion.

    Common Sub headings Include:

    • Introduction
    • Conclusions and Recommendations
    • Steps involved in this section [ex: “How To”]
    • Key Takeaways from this Section (summarize what happened)

    You should use these types of header tags when every paragraph doesn’t make sense on its own, there’s more than one point being made about something, or if there are multiple steps that need to be completed.

    What is the Importance of Sub heading Tags?

    The importance of these sub header and HTML tags is they help readers find what they’re looking for by browsing through headings.

    For example, if a reader was looking specifically for your conclusion and recommendations section, but didn’t know where that content was located on your website, then it would be very difficult to find. However, with subheading tags in place any topic the reader is interested in can easily be found just by scrolling down (or clicking) to the appropriate area on the page.

    How to Use Sub Headings to Improve SEO

    A sub heading tag has an indirect effect on a website’s SEO. Essentially, using sub header tags will allow people to stay on your website long and improve its dwell time.

    This will send a signal to Google that your visitors are enjoying your website. Subheading tags also improve user experience (UX), which is a major part of boosting your website’s success.

    Luckily, creating sub heading tags is simple using platforms like WordPress. Below, you’ll learn about clever ways to use them to improve your website’s SEO.

    Create a Table of Contents Section

    Create a Table of Contents Section

    If you have a large blog post that is divided into sections, make sure to put an introduction and conclusion section.

    This will help readers find the content they’re looking for quickly by scrolling down or clicking on the appropriate tab at the top of your page or category page (as well as improve SEO). Creating a table of contents section is simple using HTML or CSS.

    Though, if you’re a beginner, you should hire a developer to create your table of contents for you if you’re not using WordPress.

    Use Keywords in Your Subheaders

    This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s still worth mentioning.

    You should use keywords in your subheaders to improve search engine optimization and make it easier for readers who are interested in specific topics. Simply adding the keyword you want people to find will help that goal come true.

    Doing so will help your content rank for more popular keywords on the internet and drive meaningful website traffic.

    Optimize Subheaders for Featured Snippets

    Google will sometimes show snippets in the SERPs.

    This is a good opportunity to boost your technical SEO by including keywords and optimizing them for gaining a specific, coveted featured snippet.

    For example, if you have an article that discusses how many cups of coffee per day are too much, then adding phrases such as “too much” or “cups of coffee” into subheaders could put your content at the top of Google’s search results when someone searches those words (even before they read).

    There are some different types of subheadings that readers may find helpful while reading through blog posts: introduction headings, conclusions/recommendations headings, steps involved in this section headers, and key takeaways from this section headers.

    Use Subheadings to Explain Key Takeaways

    One way to use sub headings as a blog post is by including key takeaways from the specific section.

    This will let readers know what they can expect when reading that particular content, which improves user experience and better organizes your article for easy-to-find information.

    This also will add a nice visual effect to your blog and improve its readership.

    Heading Structure for Hierarchy

    Structure Your Headings Hierarchically
    Example heading structure based on hierarchy.

    H1, H2, and H3 header tags should always be used in numerical order.

    Header tags provide structure to your article, page or post.

    For example, if a blog post was divided into three sections with six content pieces each, then you would have to use H1 tags for the introduction and conclusion headings. You could do that by making your table of contents section using HTML or CSS (or having someone else create it).

    Note: each page should only have one H1 heading. 

    Next, you should start adding H2 tags. This will help readers find those specific topics more easily. In the rare event that you want to add more information under H2 tags, then you’re free to use H3 tags.

    Avoiding this order will not only confuse your readers, but it’ll make it difficult for search engine bots to crawl your web page and understand what your content is about.

    Make Your HTML Heading Tags Easy to Read

    While subheadings can be helpful in organizing your blog post, they should also help readers understand the content.

    This is why you should avoid using technical language or complicated sentence structures when creating them.

    Instead of “The Four Fundamental Principles for Successful Public Speaking,” try something more straightforward such as: “Four Strategies that Will Help You Improve Your Public speaking.” The simpler your headings are, the better it will be to read and comprehend what’s being discussed within each section of your article.

    Finally, keep your subheadings concise. If you’re optimizing them for featured snippets, make sure they’ll fit and be read in entirety by potential website visitors.

    Need Help With Sub Heading SEO?

    Optimizing sub header and page title tags for on-page SEO is a relatively straightforward process.

    However, hiring an SEO agency will help in optimizing all of your blogs in this format.

    With that said, do you want to learn more about how we can help?

    If so, contact us today to speak to a member of our SEO team for assistance.

    Chief Revenue Officer at SEO Company
    Industry veteran Timothy Carter is SEO.co’s Chief Revenue Officer. Tim leads all revenue for the company and oversees all customer-facing teams for SEO (search engine optimization) - including sales, marketing & customer success. He has spent more than 20 years in the world of SEO & Digital Marketing leading, building and scaling sales operations, helping companies increase revenue efficiency and drive growth from websites and sales teams. When he's not working, Tim enjoys playing a few rounds of disc golf, running, and spending time with his wife and family on the beach...preferably in Hawaii.

    Over the years he's written for publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur, Marketing Land, Search Engine Journal, ReadWrite and other highly respected online publications. Connect with Tim on Linkedin & Twitter.
    Timothy Carter