Do Multiple H1 Tags Affect SEO?

In a 2019 Google Webmaster live video session, Google Senior Webmaster Trends Analyst John Mueller was asked the question, “Is it mandatory to just have one H1 tag on a webpage, or can it be multiple times?” 1 His answer was surprising to many SEO professionals. According to Google, you can have as many duplicate H1 tags on a page as you want. There is no limit. Having multiple H1 tags on one page will have no effect on that page’s ranking on Google. Considering the various changes Google has gone through since 2019, can you have multiple H1 tags on a page today?

Multiple H1 Tags & SEO Controversy: How Did Google Respond?

1. Multiple header tags not affecting the SEO of a page or its chances at ranking high for Google may be considered old news. It was Mueller’s other comments on header tags in that 2019 September live session that caused controversy. It made SEO specialists question whether H1s had any effect on rankings at all.“Some SEO tools flag this as an issue and say, ‘oh, you don’t have any H1 tags, or you have two H1 tags.’ From our point of view, that’s not a critical issue […] Your site is going to rank perfectly fine with no H1 tags or with five H1 tags.” 1

   The “no H1 tags” part of that statement caught some SEO agencies off guard. Many, understandably, assumed that header tags were a critical SEO factor. To address the minor controversy the live video chat caused, Google released another shorter video on October 3 featuring Mueller talking specifically on the H1 topic.

   “Our systems aren’t too picky and will try to work with the HTML as we find it be it one H1 heading, multiple H1 headings, or just styled pieces of text without semantic HTML at all.” 3

   How Many Multiple H1 Tags Per Page Is Safe?

   So, does having multiple H1 tags on a page affect SEO? The most recent response we’ve seen from Google about this was in November 2022. According to Google, having multiple H1 tags does not negatively affect SEO or rankings. 

   Even so, while some in the SEO community agree that H1 tags don’t hold much weight in terms of SEO, others argue that removing these headers sinks your rankings. Some people point to some case studies to support their arguments. Despite Google’s stance, it may take a while for a consensus to be made.

   Additionally, as a Fort Lauderdale digital marketing agency that offers search engine optimization services, we support the efficacy of H1 tags, as they’ve been found to support rankings in the past. While having multiple on a single page may not impact rankings negatively, not having any at all is likely to do damage. So don’t disregard these tags yet.

   SEO H1 Tags Best Practices

   Despite the uncertainty regarding the use of multiple H1 tags, we wanted to share some tips for properly using H1 tags for SEO to boost your rankings and get the most out of your efforts. These tips include: 

   • Always include an H1 tag
   • Include the primary keyword for your content in the H1
   • Avoid stuffing the tag with too many keywords
   • Ensure that your readers can easily read the H1 tag
   • Use only up to 70 characters in the H1 tag
   • Make the tag unique 
   • Look at keyword volume and difficulty when finding keywords for H1 tags

   While Google claims that having more than one H1 tag on a page is safe, this can come off as spammy. Considering that keyword stuffing is a major no-no for search engines, it doesn’t make sense to include the same keyword-optimized H1 multiple times on a single page. Instead, consider these practices the next time you write content. 

   Contact Our South Florida Digital Marketers Today

   Tandem Buzz is a digital marketing agency in Fort Lauderdale serving clients nationwide. Our SEO company specializes in organic search engine marketing (SEM), social media, neuromarketing, website development, and reputation management in South Florida and throughout the country. We also offer award-winning pay-per-click, remarketing, and other paid online advertising services. 

   For more information about our digital marketing packages and how we can help your business grow, give Tandem a buzz today! You can also learn more from our experts on our online marketing blog.

   Sources:

   1. Google Webmasters, YouTube – English Google Webmaster Central office hours from September 27, 2019
   2. Google Webmasters, YouTube – My site’s template has multiple H1 tags
   3. Google Webmasters, YouTube – Multiple H1 headings: how to handle them for SEO & accessibility? #AskGoogleWebmasters

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