Heading mark up, H1 to H6, is wrapped around headings in a page to give the page structure. When headings are coded correctly voice input, screen reader, refreshable braille display and some browser users benefit by being able to use voice and keyboard commands to navigate between headings. This makes pages more scannable and less restrictive for users as they don’t have to navigate content linearly, which can be very time consuming. Some search engines also use headings to index pages.

These tips will help you utilize headings effectively in your sites:

1. All visual headings in web pages must have a heading structure applied using H1 to H6.
2. Headings must be used to describe a page’s structure and not used for visual effects.
3. Pages should only have one main heading, H1, which is the main title of the page and should be positioned at the start of unique page content.
4. Headings are like a contents overview of a page. Sub headings of the H1 must be coded as H2 and subheadings of an H2 must be coded as H3.
5. Heading levels can’t be skipped i.e. you can’t jump from H1 to H3.
6. Headings should not be coded around content that is by itself, they should always be followed by associated content.
7. Headings should not be coded around form labels i.e. the text label “Search” that comes before an input field.
8. Heading structure should be consistent throughout the site.
9. Add in headings to break up large chunks of text.
10. Keep headings short and succinct and therefore easy to scan and understand.