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Heading structure checker

Reads the whole heading outline, not just the h1: missing levels, headings chosen for their size, empty ones, and long pages with nothing to scan.

This is one of the checks inside Growth Score

Growth Score runs it with the rest on your live site, scores the result and shows what to fix first.

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Why it matters

Why this is worth checking

Headings are the outline of a page, and search and screen readers both read them as one.

Text styled to look like a heading in a div is invisible to both, which is why a page can look perfectly structured and have no structure at all.

What it reads

What it looks at

  • Whether there is exactly one h1
  • Skipped levels, like h2 then h4
  • Headings with nothing under them
  • Enough headings to be an outline

Reading a result

What a finding means

Each finding says what was seen. This is what it tells you about the page.

No h1, or severalThe page has no one main subject for search and screen readers.
A skipped levelAn h2 followed by an h4 leaves a hole in the outline.
A heading with nothing under itThe outline promises content the page does not deliver.

Common fixes

What to change first

The fixes that come up most, in the order they usually pay off.

Keep one h1Make it the page's main subject and demote any extras to h2.
Step down one level at a timeGo h2, h3, h4 in order. Choose the level for structure, not for size.
Use real headingsReplace big styled text in a div with a real heading tag.

In Growth Score

Feeds Clarity

How quickly a visitor sees what you offer and what to do. It reads how your headings are structured and how plainly the page is written.

It reads the headings in the markup. Text that only looks like a heading, styled big in a div, is invisible here and invisible to search and screen readers too, which is the point.

Glossary

Terms behind this check

Heading structureThe outline of a page made with h1 to h6 tags, from main topic down to subtopics.Semantic HTMLUsing elements for their meaning, such as button, nav and main, instead of generic containers.Screen readerSoftware that reads a page's content aloud or outputs it in braille for blind and low-vision users.

Go deeper

Guides that cover it

Search for a new siteWhat moves a new domain, in what order, and what to skip so early effort is not wasted.When to redesign your siteHow to tell a real redesign need from vanity, and how to do it without losing rankings.Clear in five secondsRun the five-second test, then fix the headline, structure and one action.

FAQ

Questions

Is more than one h1 an error?

Pages with several tend to lose a clear subject. One per page keeps the outline simple for search and for people using screen readers.

Can I change the size, not the level?

Yes. Choose the tag for structure and set the look in your styles.

Does the check change my site?

No. It only reads. Nothing is installed, edited or sent to your site by a check.

The other 11

The rest of the checks

Run it with the rest

Growth Score reads your whole site, scores it against sites like yours and ranks what to fix.

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