How you can Create the Good H1 Tag for search engine optimization

It doesn't matter whether you run a tiny corner shop or a mega-billion dollar business. Content marketing works.

Just look at how the content marketing industry has exploded over the past few years.

In this article, I'm not just going to praise the praise of content marketing. Instead, I'm going to dig deep into something that most people don't talk about: a tiny piece of content marketing called H1 tags.

To be honest, most SEOs, content marketers, web developers, and marketers know a little bit about H1s. However, this can be a problem; We're so used to hearing about H1s, using H1s, and talking about H1s that we don't stop and think about how to write them so that they appeal to users and search engines.

However, you are different. As you read this article, you will learn the exact method of creating great H1s that can take your content marketing to the next level.

What is an H1?

The H1 is an HTML tag that indicates a heading on a website.

Let me unwrap this.

• HTML: This stands for Hypertext Markup Language. Most websites use this language to create web pages.
• Label: An HTML tag is a snippet of code that tells your web browser how to display the content.
• Heading: HTML has six different heading tags: H1, H2, etc. The H1 is considered the most important tag and the H6 is considered the least important. The tags are often formatted from large (or most important) to small (or least important).

If you were to create an H1 in HTML it would look like this:

Hello, my name is Header One!

You can see for yourself. Open any website (preferably a good quality blog) and follow these instructions.

First, make sure you are on a website.

Next, view the source code.

To do this, I'll use a keyboard shortcut for Chrome (Mac): Command + Option + u (don't press the plus sign, just hold down Command, Option and u at the same time).

The commands you use to open the source code vary depending on the browser and processor you are using.

You can also click View → Developer → View Source (in Chrome):

Here's what you'll see when viewing the source code:

Next, find the h1 tag.

Press Ctrl + F to open the search function in your browser. I'm using Chrome again, but most browsers use this feature.

When I press Ctrl + F, I see a little search bar in the top right corner of the browser window.

Enter "h1".

Then, press ENTER.

Chrome highlights the h1 on this page.

There is a little code between the start tag and the end tag, but the tag is there.

The copy inside the h1 tag reads "How to keep your Facebook group active and active".

That's it. It seems pretty simple, but the h1 has a huge impact as you'll learn in the next section.

Why are H1s so important?

First, I'll tell you a story. Some time ago business was buzzing as usual. I did my thing, ran my blog, and wrote my articles.

My blog traffic was pretty good overall, but I decided to put another set of eyeballs on it to identify improvements. One of those improvements was updating an H1 for one of my articles. Within three days, the site had 85% more organic traffic. It also went from page 3 of the SERPs to page 1, position eight!

All because I changed the H1.

I am not the only one who has seen such a dramatic change. In fact, my search traffic surge is nothing compared to a local Houston, TX auto parts store that changed its page titles and H1s. The result?

The diagram says it all:

I don't want to sound like a snake oil salesman with a bunch of anecdotes, so I want to give you the cold hard facts about h1s and SEO.

H1s have always been an important ranking factor.

There have been many trends in search engine optimization that have come and gone, but H1s have never lost their relevance.

In Moz's latest search ranking factors survey, title tags are listed as the second most important ranking factor. While this is not always the case, many use the same title tag. and H1.

H1s are usually the most visually noticeable content on the page and are probably the most important SEO function.

And at first glance, it doesn't seem like H1s are an "SEO" feature at all, as it's more about the user than the technical optimization of the page, does it?

Law! This is the direction SEO has taken in recent years. SEO is more about user optimization than search engine optimization.

Don't skip the idea that users will notice the H1. It is important.

H1s are one of the most powerful on-page SEO and UX elements that you have in your arsenal.

Now let's find out how to use them.

How D.o I create Killer H1s?

H1s aren't a big secret. The fact is, almost everyone who knows anything about SEO or HTML uses them.

Why did I write this article in the first place? This is because most of the people use them incorrectly.

Until recently, even I didn't know how wrong I was in writing H1s. After turning the corner and making a discovery, my knowledge of H1s hit the roof and my website traffic changed as a result.

Here are the rules for creating the first half of the year.

1. Use only an H1

Each side only needs one H1 tag. There is no reason to use more than a single H1 tag.

Why not? If one is good, wouldn't two or sixteen be better?

While search engines will crawl multiple H1s on a page, the logical priority of a semantic H1 tag means that you will focus your SEO efforts on one keyword phrase or set, unlike many others.

The presence of more than one H1 won't necessarily confuse the search engine, but it could affect the SEO performance of a single H1.

Also, Google may consider your page over-optimized if you use more than one H1 and they may penalize you.

2. Your H1 should describe the subject of your page

At the simplest level, the H1 should describe what the content is about.

1. Often times, the H1 tag is similar or identical to your title tag.
2. Usually the H1 tag is the title of your blog post or article.
3. Usually the H1 tag gives the reader a strong idea of ​​what they are going to read.

3. The H1 should have between 20 and 70 characters

If your H1 is too short, you are wasting valuable space. If it is too long, it will degrade the day's performance.

However, if you are using the same H1 and title tag for a page, you should pay more attention. Best practices are that titles should be between 40 and 60 characters long to fit most keywords. However, if you hit the 50-60 keyword range, your click-through rate may decrease. So try to keep the drawing range from 30 to 40.

4. Highlight your H1 tag

Your H1 should be the main visual element on the page.

1. it should be big
2. it should be strong
3. it should stand out
4. You should use all of the visual, formatting, and style elements necessary to make the thing stand out

Why is that important?

Remember that an H1 is a semantic element, not a visual element, and it is important to maintain this distinction. Web designers don't need to add style elements by using semantic tags like H1, H2 etc.

In the real world, however, style and semantic elements are mixed up. According to design and development best practices, the most important semantic tags are also the most important visual elements.

Size matters in web design, and semantic tags play a role in web development. It makes sense to bring them together in SEO.

For a good example of this formatting, see Smart Passive Income on the blog. Pat Flynn's H1 is definitely strong.

When I check out the source code, I see this:

Here is another good example from Ramit Sethi.

Can you guess what his H1 is?

The H1 reads: "Do you know your earning potential?"

5. Create H1s that provide a good user experience

SEO has changed massively in the past few years. By far the biggest change has been the impact of user experience (UX) on search engine optimization.

The best way to consider SEO and UX is this Venn diagram (you'll need to download a Chrome extension to access the link).

This diagram was published in 2012.

Almost a decade later, the SEO circle would be a smaller circle within an even larger design & usability circle.

One reason for this is that search engines have evolved to be able to imagine what users want even when users search and browse.

Be aware that search engines are constantly changing because of machine learning. There are no more massive SERP disruptions due to algorithm shifts.

Instead, the search ranking factors are continuously nuanced based on the search and surfing habits of the millions of search engine users. In other words, how users interact with your page has a lot to do with how your page is ranked. and the H1 is one of the most important elements on your side that affects their interaction.

This is because it gets noticed. It sends a message. It gives a feeling. It makes a promise.

Your H1 should speak openly to the user. It should be carefully formatted and placed so that your user understands that this is the title of the page and explains what the page is about.

6. Use a focused long-tail keyword in your first half of the year

Believe it or not, some SEOs used to not recommend using keywords in your H1s. They thought it could be viewed as keyword stuffing that Google penalized a long time ago.

Fortunately, using a keyword in an H1 has nothing to do with keywords at all. On the contrary, Google wants you to use a keyword in the first half of the year. It helps your crawlers better understand what your page is about.

If you don't use a strong keyword in your H1 tag, Google can still figure out what the page is about, index it accordingly, and give you a good rank. But why should you miss the opportunity to provide Google with all of the information it needs and wants right in your website's source code?

It is better to use a keyword. sometimes a long-tail keyword specifically.

Let me show you a clear example of how this works using a simple keyword, "bandit tests".

While this keyword isn't technically long-tail, it works well for our purposes because it's clear, concise, eye-catching, and easy to use in an H1 tag.

This is a page from the Crazy Egg Blog.

The article is about bandit tests.

The most noticeable visual element on the page is "Glossary: ​​Bandit Tests". This is also the h1.

Here are the facts about this page:

• The title: What is bandit test? The Crazy Egg Glossary
• The H1: Glossary: ​​Bandit Tests
• The key word: Bandit tests

Your rank at the time of this page's publication (it was later updated)? Google page 1, position five! This position was earned just two weeks after the article was published.

This article takes a more long-tail approach. The keyword in this scenario is "Facebook Video Ad Hacks".

This keyword is in the blog title and it is also the H1 tag.

Just two weeks after it was published, the article was on page one, position 5 on Google.

In summary, yes, I recommend that you use a long-tail keyword in your H1 tag.

However, follow a few simple rules:

• don't force it
• do it of course
• No keyword content!

7. Answer the user intent with your H1

The phrase "user intent" may seem confusing to some people, but it is actually quite simple.

Whenever you write content, you want to ask questions like:

What does the user want when they open my article?

What is your intention?

Your H1 should fulfill this intention.

If someone Googles "Risky SEO Tactics", I can probably assume that they are looking for quick search engine optimization techniques that will improve their rankings.

If I were to write an article on the subject (oh wait, I did!) Then I'd like to answer your intent with my H1.

This is how the journey of intent works

First, the user gets an idea. Then they search for it on Google.

You can see this promising result in the SERP.

If you click on it, you will see my blog article on the subject.

My goal with this H1 tag is to promise them what they were looking for: some straightforward but risky SEO tactics that could increase their traffic.

This is how Marc Purtell explains it in SEJ:

To get some great h1 tags optimized for hummingbirds, try to understand what a user might be asking when they search for a keyword that the page is targeting and format that question with h1 tags on the page.

Let me summarize the rules for creating amazing h1s.

1. Use only an h1
2. Your h1 should describe the subject of your page
3. Highlight your h1
4. Create h1s that have a good user experience
5. Use a focused long-tail keyword in your h1
6. Answer the user intent with your h1

Transform your website in 1 week with an H1 day audit

As a bonus, I want to give you a workable way to put these lessons into practice. I'm going to give you a homework assignment that can increase your organic traffic by 50%. Most can complete this task in a few days.

I see a lot of people waste a lot of time doing "content reviews" on their websites. I am not against content reviews. However, instead of doing a full content check on your website, I recommend doing a check on the H1 tag first.

H1 audits are quick and easy and can lead to successful results in record times.

1. Download Screaming Frog

You can do this on the Screaming Frog website.

Click on "SEO Spider Tool".

Then click on "Download".

You do not need to purchase a license to use the software. However, if your website is over 500 pages, it is best to purchase a license.

2. Open Screaming Frog

When you've successfully downloaded Screaming Frog, open it.

3. Enter your URL

4. Click Start and wait for the crawling to complete

Depending on the size of your website, this could take a few minutes or a few hours.

It usually takes Screaming Frog less than a minute to crawl 500 pages.

5. Click on H1 in the menu bar

Here you can see a list of all the H1 tags on your website.

6th Check H1 Keywords

Click the filter menu.

First search for missing H1s by simply selecting "Missing" in the filter field.

You will see a list of all the pages on your website that are missing an h1 tag.

Your first task is to create an h1 for each of these pages.

(Unless, of course, you have a reason not to. My / Blog Page is a menu page for selecting the articles I regularly add and update there. So I chose not to include an h1.)

Click on "Export".

Find a good place to save the file.

It's a CSV so you can open it in Excel.

Next, filter any "duplicate" h1s. You can do this by clicking "Duplicate" in the filter menu. Save this list again in a CSV for future reference.

Finally, add a filter for all "multiple" h1s. Save the list again

Now return to the filter menu and select "All". Export the list. At this point, you should have four CSV files.

7. Create new H1 tags

Your task now is to create new h1 tags for each of the categories. Start with the missing ones, move on to duplicating and the next multiple, and finally revise all of the h1s.

If your website has tens of thousands of pages, you may only be able to work on the h1 tag project with the highest priority: the missing ones.

However, if you have the time, update all of your h1s to match the rules given above.

I think you will see a huge difference in your traffic, rankings, and overall website performance.

Conclusion

If you've read this article, you will know more about h1 tags than most. More importantly, know exactly how to use h1s for maximum SEO impact.

If you need help creating better H1s, title tags, content, or even SEO in general, reach out to our agency so we can help.

What are some of your best practice tips for h1?

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