Why the Heading of an Article Matters More Than You Think

The heading of an article is a short phrase that appears at the top of the blog page. What breaks down the article are subheadings that serve as titles for every section of that blog. That’s how they help readers identify the crux of each particular section. Simply put, headings tell your readers what the blog is about and what they can expect from it.

Headings are one of the crucial aspects of your blog post! Try to put in effort here and mention user queries (or keywords) in the headings as much as possible. Remember not to stuff information but add it strategically. Here’s an example of what to do – and what not to do:

Do you know that 43% of readers first skim through your blogs? Then they decide on what sections will they continue to read. That’s why you need to keep your blog heading concise, catchy, and meaningful. When you do so, it makes your blogs skimmable and easy to understand. 

In this article, we will look into what article headings are, why they matter for SEO, and their key features for optimizing your content. Let’s begin.

What is the Heading of an Article?

Source: Giphy

Let’s address the query: what is a heading in an article? The heading of an article is the first thing that readers see. It plays a crucial role in attracting their attention and encouraging them to read further. 

A good heading should be clear, concise, and descriptive, and it should accurately reflect the content of the article. In addition to its role in engaging readers, it’s also important for search engine optimization (SEO). That’s because it helps search engines understand what the article is about and rank it accordingly. 

Hierarchy of Article Headings

An article with subheadings flows smoothly and gives your reader a glimpse into what it is about. Let’s discuss the overview, headings examples, their respective significance, and their differences below.

Heading 1 (H1)

The H1 heading – main heading, article title, blog name, you get it – is the top-level heading in a document or webpage. It represents the theme of the topic to be discussed further. Most importantly, it plays a crucial role in SEO by signaling the most important topic on a page. Keep it no more than 60 characters. This ensures it displays fully to readers without getting truncated.

Heading 2 (H2s)

H2, or subheading level 1, is a secondary heading that organizes content under the main heading (H1). It further breaks down the main topic into distinct sections. Resultantly, it makes it easier for readers to navigate and understand the hierarchy of information within the document.

Heading 3 (H3s)

H3, or subheading level 2, is a tertiary heading that continues to break down the content under an H2 into more specific subsections. They contribute to a detailed and organized presentation of information. Moreover, H3s aid in the content’s logical flow and improve the overall reader experience. 

To help you understand further the hierarchical structure of the heading in writing, we’ve prepared the table below.

Heading Tag	Importance	Aim	Recommended Usage
H1	Most important	Conveys the core topic idea	1 per article
H2	Second most important	Breaks down the main topic	2-3 per article (depending on the word count)
H3	Third most important	Expands on H2 tags	1-2 per H2, if required

The Importance of Good Article Headings

You need a good article heading if you want to guide your audience and improve your article’s SEO. Let’s break it down further to know each aspect better. 

Guide your audience.

Well-structured headings guide your audience by providing a concise preview of the content that follows. In simple words, they help your readers understand the main ideas and the structure of the text at a glance. Resultantly, they can navigate through the article without any difficulty. 

Break down content.

Headings are essential for breaking down content into easily digestible sections. They act as signposts and divide the text into manageable portions. This way you allow your readers to navigate the blog more effectively.

Improve SEO.

By including relevant keywords in headings, you can signal the main topics of the content to search engines. It’s a best practice to consider to increase the visibility of the article to potential readers. 

Features of a Good Article Heading

Source: Freepik

Lastly, we’ll check out the features of a good article heading.

Concise

A concise heading conveys the main idea clearly and effectively. This feature is crucial as it respects the readers’ time and immediately communicates what the article is about. It also allows the entire heading to be visible on search engine results pages.

Impactful

Article headings should be impactful and catchy. They should be designed to pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to read on.

Relevant

Keep in mind that relevance is the key to an effective heading. It should accurately represent the content idea. Don’t forget to keep it aligned with the expectations of the audience.

Unique

Uniqueness sets your heading apart from others, making it distinctive yet memorable. If it’s unique, it can capture the essence of your article in a way that distinguishes it from similar content.

Remember: even if you create content using a Free Content Generator, make sure your headings are impactful.

FAQs

Q. How to add a heading in WordPress?

To add an article heading in WordPress, simply place your cursor where you want it and use the visual editor’s Paragraph dropdown to select the heading level. After selecting it, type in your heading text. Click Save or update your post/page to apply the changes.

Q. How do you write an article heading?

To write a compelling heading of an article, try experimenting with Content Gorilla’s Blog Post Idea Generator. It’s absolutely free to use and you can get unlimited ideas to select from.

Q. What is the difference between a heading and a subheading?

A heading is the main title that introduces the primary topic of your blog. While a subheading is a secondary title that breaks down specific sections of the main topic.

Conclusion

The heading of an article is the most important element that all professional blog writers craft meticulously. A compelling heading won’t only capture the reader’s attention, but also help in improving the search engine ranking.

Try using our Free Blog Post Idea Generator to craft attention-grabbing H1 titles for your next blogs. It’s completely customizable and beginner-friendly. Don’t wait any further and give it a shot now to get multiple ideas in a single click!