Short answer: The H1 tag is the main heading of a page, the one that tells people what the page is about. MDN advises a single H1 per page that describes its content, much like the title element. Google uses heading elements such as the H1 as one of the sources for the title link it shows in search results.
The H1 and the title tag side by side
| Title element | H1 heading | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it goes | In the head of the page | In the body, at the top of the content |
| Who sees it | People in search results and on the browser tab | People reading the page |
| What Google does with it | One of the sources of the title link | Another source of the title link |
| How many | One per page | Generally one per page, says MDN |
| Example | <title>H1 tag | Feedback Studios</title> | <h1>H1 tag: what it is</h1> |
Google uses several sources to write a title link: the title element, the main visual title on the page, heading elements such as the H1, the og:title tag and other prominent text. Our guide to SEO titles and meta descriptions covers the title element.
From Google Search Central, “Influencing your title links in search results”, and MDN, “HTML section heading elements”, read November 3, 2026.
What Google says about headings
Google asks you to break long content into paragraphs and sections, with headings that help people move through your pages. It also asks you to make clear which text is the main title, for example by putting it in the first visible H1 and giving it the largest font.
Google says headings in semantic order are fantastic for screen readers, but out of order they make no difference to Search. It adds that there’s no ideal number of headings for a page.
What the HTML rules say
MDN lists headings from H1, the most important, to H6. It advises against skipping levels, so an H2 comes after the H1, an H3 after an H2, and so on. People who use screen readers often jump from heading to heading, and a skipped level can confuse them. Our guide to website accessibility covers more of what they need.
Headings shouldn’t be used to resize text either: MDN points to the CSS font-size property for that.
How to write your headings
- Write one H1 per page that says what the page is about.
- Make it the largest, first visible heading on the page.
- Keep the H1 close in meaning to the title element, without copying it word for word.
- Split the content into sections and give each one an H2.
- Use H3 for subsections inside an H2 section, without skipping levels.
- Change text size with CSS, not with a heading tag.
- Read only the headings: they should work as a table of contents.
What our own pages use
At 1:05 AM on November 3 we read all 270 pages in our sitemap as a visitor. Each one has exactly one H1.
In our guides, the H1 is the full question the guide answers, and the title is shorter for search results. Our robots.txt guide, for example, has the H1 “Robots.txt: what it is and how to write one for your website” and the title “Robots.txt: rules, examples and AI crawlers”.
The home page is the exception: its H1 is our tagline, “Your business is talking. We make it heard.”, and the title says what we do, a bilingual digital marketing agency in Miami.
Before you publish a page
- The page has one H1.
- The H1 says what the page is about.
- The H1 is the most prominent text on the page.
- Each section starts with an H2.
- No heading level is skipped.
- No heading is there only to make text bigger.
RememberGive each page one H1 that says what it’s about and make it the most prominent title. Nest the rest of the headings in order, for your readers and for Google’s title links.
If you want us to check the headings and titles across your site, see our technical SEO service.
Quick answers about the H1 tag
Can a page have more than one H1?
The HTML standard allows it, but MDN says it isn’t considered a best practice: a page should generally have a single H1 that describes its content, similar to its title element. Google adds that there’s no ideal number of headings for a page.
Is the H1 the same as the title tag?
No. The title element sits in the head and usually becomes the title link in Google and the text on the browser tab. The H1 is the main heading people see on the page. Google uses both, among other sources, to write the title link.
Does heading order matter for Google?
Google says headings in semantic order are fantastic for screen readers, but from Google Search’s perspective it doesn’t matter if you use them out of order. Keep the order for the people who move through a page by its headings.
Should I use headings to make text bigger?
No. MDN says not to use heading elements to resize text and to use the CSS font-size property instead. A heading should introduce the section that follows it.
How many headings should a page have?
Google says there’s no magical, ideal amount of headings for a page, and that if you think it’s too much, it probably is. Add one where it helps a reader find a section.
Sources
Read on November 3, 2026. Google Search Central: Influencing your title links in search results and SEO Starter Guide. MDN Web Docs: HTML section heading elements. Our own case: the H1 and the title of every page in our sitemap, on November 3, 2026.