Why Site Headings Should Be Optimised for People, Not Just for SEO

The Purpose of Headings 

Headings are traditionally used to break up bodies of text, providing a snapshot of information to signpost what the section of text is about for the user. They also help to add structure and depth to the content. Headings in SEO are usually known as header tags and are formatted in order of priority and authority, using H1, H2, and H3 (and so on) tags within sections. For example, this article has the following heading tag structure:

• H1: Why Site Headings Should Be Optimised for People, Not Just for SEO.
  • H2: The Purpose of Headings 
  • H2: The benefits and pitfalls of SEO-centric Headings 
    • H3: Bad Strategy: Optimising Headings for SEO Only
    • H3: Good Strategy: Optimising Headings for Humans
• H2: Heading Best Practises 

Understanding how to use heading tags effectively can improve both SEO and user experience. By structuring headings with clear, user-centric language, you naturally guide readers to the most relevant sections of your content, making their browsing experience smoother and more intuitive. This approach leverages the principle of “choice architecture,” subtly guiding users to their desired information without them even realising it.
 

The pitfalls and benefits of SEO-centric Headings

Search engines are always evolving, improving usability, and streamlining intent. With advances in AI, we predict that search engines will continue to focus on rewarding user-led content and impose harsher penalties on websites that aren’t utilising human-first content strategies. This has already been demonstrated with Google’s recent Helpful Content update, which aims to reward ‘helpful, reliable, people-first content’. This means there will be more focus on showcasing expertise and human-led SEO, especially for on-page practices such as headings.

Bad Strategy: Optimising Headings for SEO Only

While heading optimisations can enhance visibility and attract more visitors, they come with their own set of challenges. SEO-optimised headings can sometimes compromise readability, user engagement, and overall user experience. Over-optimised content can start to read as more robotic, less user-focused, and in turn, less helpful - which, as established, won’t be rewarded by Google. When writing heading tags and content, be mindful not to undermine the user experience. Over-optimised headers may include keyword stuffing and readability issues, resulting in user frustration. This can look like:

• Keyword Stuffing: Headings (and content) that have excessive keywords disrupt the user experience. Headings become repetitive and clunky, and reading is unnatural and awkward.
• Readability Issues: Headings tailored to appeal to search engines can often read as uncanny, targeting keywords that have high volume but don’t necessarily fit contextually or linguistically. It is important to put headings in where they’re appropriate - not just as an excuse to boost specific terms - and make sure they fit organically in the text.
• User Frustration: Keyword stuffing and readability issues create user frustration, often leading to high bounce rates. Headers are one of the first things a user will read on your page. Therefore, headers that don’t relate to the text or are misleading will have an adverse effect on traffic.

Good Strategy: Optimising Headings for Humans

Instead, successfully optimising your headings for humans has the ability to benefit both the site and the user experience of the site. SEO benefits of human-first headings include improved SEO and brand trust. Some examples of optimising your headings for humans can include:

• Improved Engagement: Snappy, informative headings make the content easy to navigate and digest, which in turn captivates the user.
• Lower Bounce Rates: Tailoring your headings to be human-first can result in lower bounce rates as users experience clear topic intent (and whether it matches their search intent).
• Better Accessibility: Clearly structured, user-centric headings improve accessibility for the visually impaired or those with cognitive disabilities. According to a study by WebAIM, 70% of people who use screen readers rely on page headings.

Optimising site headings for people, not just for SEO, creates a more engaging and accessible user experience. By focusing on the needs of the user, website owners can achieve both user engagement and SEO goals, resulting in better overall website performance. Review your current headings and consider how they can better serve your audience while still benefiting your SEO strategy. 

Consider incorporating behavioural nudges such as highlighting key benefits in your headings. For example, using “How This Simple Change Can Boost Your SEO” rather than “SEO Changes” provides a clear, immediate value proposition that can attract and retain reader interest.

Best Practices for Creating User-Centric Headings

Creating human-first, user-friendly headings involves several key best practices, to ensure they effectively serve both users and SEO. We recommend always doing your research and understanding user intent before creating a keyword plan and curating your content. By having a clear tone of voice and purpose for the piece, the headers should be a navigational tool used to enhance the user experience. 

Other best practices for user-friendly headings include:

• Being clear and concise
• Use natural language (don’t force a keyword to fit at the expense of it sounding robotic!)
• Avoid excessive repetition or keyword stuffing
• Keep it engaging (always remember the user intent)
• Keep it relevant to the topic 
• Try to avoid putting hyperlinks in headings (It can disrupt the readability of the piece)
• Use a logical heading hierarchy for structure (and don’t forget, you can only use a H1 tag once!)
• Be mindful of usability and accessibility 

For extra brownie points consider creating an overview at the beginning of the article which uses jump links to help users navigate directly to the heading most relevant to their query. This can boost user trust and decrease bounce rate by providing quality access and easy page navigation. Implementing these best practices ensures that headings not only optimise for SEO but also enhance user experience and satisfaction.

Key Takeaways

• By optimising headings to be mindful and people-first you can create a more engaging and accessible user experience - while still achieving your SEO goals. 
• User-centric headings improve engagement by being clear, concise, and relevant to the content that follows. 
• Enhanced accessibility improves your site’s inclusivity which improves user experience, brand reliability and authority - which in turn will have a positive impact on page rankings and domain authority. 
• Review your current headings and consider how they can better serve your audience, resulting in better overall website performance and user satisfaction.

If you'd like to learn more about optimising site headings for your business, get in touch with our SEO team – we're here to help!