Google Search Liaison Gary Illyes gives advice on using heading elements and best practices for SEO.
During the Google Office Hours podcast, Illyes discussed the value of heading element order (H1, H2, H3, etc.) in SEO, whether Google cares about semantic order, and why some SEO tools contradict what Google says in its SEO Starter Guide.
Gary’s answer removes some of the mystery around using heading elements.
Heading element recap
Heading elements include H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, and H6. H1 is the highest, and H6 is the lowest.
You use them to describe your content subject concisely and list each section’s topics and subtopics.
You see them in all forms of digital content, from a website’s landing page to product descriptions and blog posts.
Using heading elements effectively allows readers/users to scan content and gain valuable information from each heading. The better the heading, the higher the chance your viewer will take action.
Does Google care about heading orders?
Matt, a Google Office Hours listener, asked Gary why the SEO Starter Guide contradicts his SEO tool’s advice about using heading elements in “semantic” order, why Google says it’s not important, and if Google’s SEO Starter Guide is out-of-date.
Gary narrated Matt’s question:
- “I recently read on the SEO starter guide that (Having headings in semantic order is fantastic for screen readers, but from Google Search perspective, it doesn’t matter if you’re using them out of order).”
“Is this still correct because an SEO tool told me otherwise?”
Gary gave this response:
- “We update our documentation quite frequently to ensure that it’s always up to date. In fact, the SEO starter guide was refreshed just a couple of months back (if I remember correctly) to ensure it’s still relevant, so what you read in the guide is as accurate as it can get.
“Also, just because a non-Google tool tells you something is good or bad, that doesn’t make it relevant for Google.”
“It may still be a good idea, it may be a very good idea, just not necessarily relevant to Google.”
So, the answer to my H3 heading above (Does Google care about heading orders) is no!
Google Versus SEO tools
Matt’s SEO tool is correct in telling him to use heading elements in a hierarchical order because that’s how you’ll accurately structure your content and convey your message, whether creating a webpage on Element or writing a post.
But from an SEO perspective, the tool is incorrect.
Google explains this in its SEO starter guide:
- “Having headings in semantic order is great for screen readers, but from Google Search’s perspective, it doesn’t matter if you use them out of order.”
“The web at large isn’t valid HTML code, so Google Search rarely relies on the semantic meanings hidden in the HTML specification.”
“There is also no magic or ideal number of headers that should be on a given page. However, if you think there are too many, there probably are.”
The takeaway
SEO aside, using heading elements in semantic order is essential for the visually impaired and creating digital content that engages viewers and encourages them to act.
So, while they’re not crucial for Google, heading elements are the building blocks your content (and users) rely on.
Gary explains the use of element headings in the SEO Office Hours Podcast: