Heading tags (H1, H2)

Heading tags are the HTML elements <h1> through <h6> that title a page and each section of its content. The H1 is usually the page’s main title, H2s split the main sections, and H3s split smaller points inside an H2 section.

What are heading tags: H1, H2 to H6

A heading is an element, not a font size. A large bold line inside a <p> is still a paragraph. A how-to article’s heading outline looks like this:

<h1>How to choose running shoes as a beginner</h1>
  <h2>Choose by foot shape</h2>
    <h3>Flat feet</h3>
  <h2>Choose by running surface</h2>
  <h2>Frequently asked questions</h2>

Screen readers use headings to navigate within a page. W3C advises against skipping levels, for example jumping from H2 to H4 (W3C WAI, Headings, accessed November 2026).

What Google says about the H1 tag and heading order

Google recommends breaking long content into sections with headings, but lists the number and order of headings among things not to focus on: from a Google Search perspective, out-of-order headings are fine, and there is no ideal number of headings (Google Search Central, SEO Starter Guide, accessed November 2026).

Google Search has no “exactly one H1 per page” rule. One related point: when a page has several large, equally prominent headings and the main title is unclear, Google may use the first heading as the title link (Google Search Central, Influencing your title links, accessed November 2026). The one-H1-per-page rule does appear in Google’s guide for writing documentation, but it is a writing rule, not a ranking factor (Google developer documentation style guide, Headings and titles, accessed November 2026).

Why the AI Search checker scores heading tags

Adtek’s AI Search checker has two heading items:

• Exactly one H1: 4 points for exactly one H1, 2 points for more than one, 0 for none.
• At least 3 H2 sections: 4 points for 3 or more H2s, 2 points for 1 or 2, 0 for none.

This is the tool’s convention, not a Google requirement. It helps readers and AI systems split a page into clear sections. AI answers tend to cite individual passages rather than whole articles, so each section needs a heading that says what it answers (see what is AI optimization (AIO)). For AI Overviews, Google asks only for SEO basics, including keeping important content in text form (Google Search Central, AI features and your website, accessed November 2026). Headings baked into images do not count.

How to fix H1 count or missing H2 issues

1. Count the headings. Press Ctrl+U to view the source and search for <h1. Or right-click, choose Inspect, put your cursor in the Elements panel, press Ctrl+F and type h1 (Chrome for Developers, View and change the DOM, accessed November 2026). The checker counts every H1 in the raw HTML, including H1s hidden by CSS in a mobile menu.
2. Logo wrapped in an H1 in a WordPress theme. Many themes wrap the logo in an H1 on every page while the post title is also an H1, which makes two. Look for a theme setting first; if there is none, edit the header file in a child theme:

   <!-- before -->
   <h1><a href="/">Shop Name</a></h1>
   <!-- after -->
   <p><a href="/">Shop Name</a></p>

3. Block editor. The post title is usually the H1 already, so Heading blocks in the body start at H2. Change a level with the Transform button on the block toolbar or the H1 to H6 buttons in Block settings, and check the full outline in the Outline tab of Document Overview (WordPress.org, Heading block, accessed November 2026).
4. Shopify. Go to Online Store, Edit theme to change heading text in each section. Whether a section outputs an H1 or H2 depends on the theme. To change the element, go to Online Store, the menu icon (three dots), Edit code, and duplicate the theme as a backup first (Shopify Help Center, Editing theme code, accessed November 2026).
5. Add H2s where they are missing. Split the page by the questions readers ask; a product page might have “Specifications”, “Warranty and returns” and “Frequently asked questions”. Open each H2 with a 1 to 2 sentence direct answer. Do not add empty H2s just to hit the count.
6. Custom code. Headings must be in the HTML the server returns; headings inserted later by JavaScript are not counted.
7. Verify. View the source again, then run the AI Search checker again.

Frequently asked questions

Do multiple H1 tags hurt a page in Google?

Google does not list multiple H1s as an error. The practical risk is an unclear main title, which can lead Google to pick other text for the title link.

What is an H1 tag, and should it match the title tag?

The H1 is the main title shown on the page. It does not have to match the title tag, since the title often carries the brand name, but both should cover the same topic.

If you want headings and content structure reviewed across your site, see Adtek’s SEO solution.