Content Quality
Part of On-page titles and headings
Using subheadings to explain the topic rather than repeat keywords
Replace repeated topic phrases with section headings that describe the answer beneath them and help readers navigate.
A subheading should state what the next section answers. If every H2 repeats the page's main phrase, a scanning reader learns little about its conditions, steps or choices.
Write the sections around useful questions, then name what each contributes.
Benefits vs risks of repeating keywords in subheadings
- Pros: May improve keyword visibility for search enginesLimited benefit; can harm user experience
- Cons: Reduces scannability and clarity for readersMakes it harder to distinguish between sections
- Cons: Misleads users if headings promise a process but deliver only contact formsCreates mismatch between expectation and content
- Pros: Helps maintain consistency in content templatesBut at cost of usability and accessibility
Map the questions the page answers
A page about arranging an equipment assessment might have sections on which items can be assessed, what information to provide and what happens after a request. Those are distinct reader questions.
Repeating ‘equipment assessment’ in three headings would hide the differences. The example only works for a page that actually supplies those answers.
Keep the main heading responsible for the whole page. Give each subheading a narrower job, so a visitor can move straight to the part that matters.
Name the answer beneath each heading
Repeated topic label / More useful section label
- Equipment assessment services
- Which items can be assessed?
- Book an equipment assessment
- What information should you provide?
- Equipment assessment process
- What happens after you request an assessment?
Use the second column only where the section answers the question. A heading that promises a process but leads to only a contact form creates a new mismatch.
W3C guidance says headings should describe their section's topic or purpose, so users can find the information they seek and understand how it is organised. A reader moving through a list of headings should be able to predict where the needed answer sits. A heading does not need every variation of a search term to do that job.
Show relationships with heading levels
Use H2s for main sections. Add an H3 when an H2 section has a substantial subdivision.
For example, ‘Before you request an assessment’ might contain ‘Information about the item’ and ‘Collection details’ if each needs its own explanation. If both need only a sentence, a short list may be clearer.
Choose levels for structure, then style them for appearance. W3C advises avoiding skipped levels where possible because they can be confusing. A rendered page may include headings from templates or components, so inspect the final outline, not just the editor view.
Check whether each section earns its heading
Read only the subheadings. Can you follow the page's progression? Are two labels interchangeable?
Does a heading promise a comparison but lead to a definition? Rename, combine or revise sections until the headings describe the answers on the page.
