The role of headings in accessibility and SEO

Headings are essential for accessibility and navigation on websites. They form the backbone of the page structure and help all users - especially those with screen readers - to understand and navigate content. A well-structured heading hierarchy also improves search engine indexing.

Key benefits:

• Clear navigation for screen reader users (67.7% use headings for orientation).
• Improved user experience and readability for all visitors.
• Higher SEO effectiveness through structured and semantic content.

Follow these best practices for a well-structured headline hierarchy:

Use a unique H1 per page

• The H1 is the main title of the page.
• Avoid multiple H1 tags to avoid confusion for users and search engines.
  Example: The H1 for a blog article should be the title of the post.

Maintain a logical hierarchy

• Headings should be used in the order H2 -> H3 -> H4.
• Do not skip levels to keep the structure clear.

Use descriptive headings

• Each heading should summarise the content below it.
  Example: Instead of "Section 1", you could use "Tips for structuring H2 headings".

• Use headings for visual purposes (e.g. only to enlarge text).
• Empty headings due to CMS errors.
• Skip heading levels or use them inconsistently in components.

• Developer: Utilises semantic HTML elements and ensures that reusable components dynamically adjust the heading levels.
• Designer: Avoids the use of CAPITAL LETTERS in headings to improve readability, especially for people with dyslexia.

Note: Tools such as HeadingsMap (for Chrome, Firefox) or the WAVE Evaluation Tool can visually check the heading structure.