H1 tag

What this check does

Parses the rendered HTML and counts <h1> elements. Passes when there’s exactly one; warns when there are zero or more than one.

Why it matters

The H1 is the page’s headline. It’s the strongest on-page signal of topic — second only to the <title> — for both Google and AI agents trying to extract the page’s main subject.

Three failure modes:

• No H1: the page is missing its primary headline. Search engines fall back to the title, which is fine, but you lose a layer of clarity. AI agents that strip HTML often pick the H1 as the “what is this page about” answer.
• Multiple H1s: your topic gets split. Each H1 looks equally important, so Google can’t tell which is the real headline.
• H1 doesn’t match content: an H1 of “Welcome” on a pricing page wastes the ranking real estate.

How to fix it

Use exactly one <h1> per page, placed near the top, that describes the page’s purpose:

<h1>How to write a meta description that ranks</h1>

Then use <h2> for major sections, <h3> for subsections, etc. — see heading hierarchy for the rules.

Framework helpers:

• WordPress: the post title is automatically an H1 in most themes. If your theme renders the title as <h2>, fix the theme.
• React/Next/Astro: your page-template component should render <h1>{props.title}</h1> exactly once.

Common mistakes:

• Site logo wrapped in <h1> on every page. The logo is a logo, not a headline. Use <h1> only for page-specific content.
• Multiple H1s from a CMS that lets editors insert headings. Train editors to use H2/H3 inside body content.

Frequently asked questions

Does the H1 need to match the title?

Not exactly — they can be different. The title is for search results; the H1 is for the page itself. Many sites use a longer, branded title (Page topic | Site Name) and a shorter, cleaner H1 (Page topic).

What about HTML5 sectioning?

HTML5 in theory allows multiple H1s if each is inside a <section> or <article>. Browsers and screen readers don’t honor this, so stick to one H1 per page.

Does the H1 affect rankings as much as the title?

No, but it’s a meaningful secondary signal. Google extracts the H1 as part of understanding what the page is about. AI crawlers weight it heavily because it’s the most prominent visible text.