Heading Structure Validator: Check and Improve Website Headings

Introduction

The Toolibex heading structure validator lets website owners, content creators, developers, and SEO specialists double-check that the heading structure is appropriate for the content on the page. Whether you’re publishing a blog post or a business landing page, validating the heading structure is an invaluable task to ensure the webpage is organized correctly.

About the Heading Structure Validator

A heading structure validator is a tool that helps analyze a webpage to identify whether there are potential issues with the heading hierarchy. HTML specifies six levels of heading, from h1 to h6. These specify how different parts of the page connect.

H1 is usually used as the main heading for the page. Other levels specify subheadings and topics that follow on from the main one. Lower levels such as h3 and h4 might be used for smaller supporting topics and so on. The Toolibex heading structure validator is designed to review the hierarchy and identify potential issues.

When used on a page, a heading validator will detect strange connections between headings and elements, highlight places where subheadings may be missing, or simply flag up that the document outline is not intuitive. Validating heading structure is a good way to improve content organization, ensure the page is easy to read, and apply website accessibility standards.

The tool is useful for a number of different purposes. It can help check that content is organized in a way that is easy to follow. It can also help with larger content pieces such as blog posts and technical guides. Website accessibility and SEO compliance are additional benefits of running a heading validation. Furthermore, it allows website maintainers to update and optimize existing content with greater ease. A heading structure validator is not a replacement for a full accessibility or HTML validation, but it provides many of the same advantages.

Why Do Website Headings Matter for SEO?

Headings are an important aspect of document structure. Correctly structured and worded headings provide a useful outline of the written content.

For the end-user, the value of descriptive headings is that they allow skimming through the material to find the relevant part. If someone is looking for information about solving a specific technical issue, they will be able to find the relevant section without having to read the entire article.

From an accessibility perspective, correct heading markup helps to convey the document structure to assistive technologies such as screen readers. Users with disabilities may navigate only between the headings to understand the layout of the page and locate the necessary information.

Search engines use document outlines to organize and classify content. Semantic markup provides additional context and allows search engines to understand the relationship between different subsections. Overall, a properly worded and structured heading provides search engines with a descriptive summary of a written piece. However, a heading structure validator can only analyze the document outline and cannot predict potential issues with SEO.

How Does a Heading Structure Validator Work?

A heading structure validator usually operates by analyzing the document outline and looking at the relationship between the different subheadings and sectioning elements. The exact method depends on the specific tool and its capabilities.

In general, here are the basic steps that are taken when analyzing the heading structure of a document:

1. Select the Webpage for Validation

Choose a specific page that you want to analyze with a heading structure validator. It can be a blog post, business page, or a technical guide – any webpage that contains substantial amounts of text. Ideally, the page should already have several heading elements present in the markup.

Although it is possible to analyze shorter documents, it is best to choose a longer page with a well-defined outline. You can always review similar pages across your website to optimize their content structure.

2. Review the Heading Elements

Use the validator to review the specific heading elements that have been used on the page. The markup should utilize semantic elements for all level of subheadings from h1 to h6. Avoid using any text elements as substitutes for appropriately sized headings regardless of whether they are manually entered or automatically inputted by a CMS.

Although the text itself might be large enough to draw attention to a specific section, if it is not wrapped inside an hp element, it will not be recognized by many devices and web applications.

3. Check for Logical Grouping

One of the primary functions of a heading structure validator is to ensure that the relationship between the topics and subtopics is logical. Examine the document outline that the validator produces to ensure that all heading levels group related information together.

For example, it is logical to have a main page heading followed by several subheadings that expand on the subject in more detail. The additional topics can then have their own set of subheadings below them. Not every level needs to be used, but the transition between different headings should be smooth enough that the reader understands how the different sections relate.

4. Look for Potential Issues

Examine the page for potential issues with the heading structure. Ensure that each section and subsection is clearly defined. Look for unnecessary skips between heading levels. Check that repetitive or out-of-place headings do not appear throughout the document. Confirm that the main section covers the general topic of the page, and that the remaining headings appropriately expand on the subject.

5. Update the Heading Structure

Update the page according to the recommendations provided by the tool. Ensure that the changes are relevant to the content. Update the specific section titles to ensure that they are descriptive enough and do not repeat the same words or phrases. Update the level of each heading to reflect its position within the document. Once the necessary changes have been made, re-open the page and ensure that the entire document has been updated and that there are no additional issues.

Interpreting Results from a Heading Validator

The results produced by a heading validator are best considered within the broader context of the document. While some of the suggested changes might be relevant, others might not apply depending on the situation. When using a heading structure validator, it is important to remember that both the tool and the person reviewing the results should be able to understand the context and purpose of each heading level. That way, unnecessary changes that disrupt the document flow can be avoided.

With that said, here are some general guidelines to interpret the most common potential issues that can be identified by a heading structure validator.

Main Heading

The first thing to consider is the main heading for the document. Ideally, it should clearly identify the general subject of the page. There should be a single main heading at the beginning of the page, although some situations might require additional level 1 headings.

Depending on the CMS or website builder used, the primary heading might be specified in a separate section. For example, many modern tools will allow you to choose the level of the main heading for the page. In such situations, the heading should still reflect the purpose of the page.

Level Order

Next, ensure that the level order reflects the organization of the document. A standard approach is to use level 1 for the main heading, level 2 for subheadings that expand on the main subject, and level 3 for sub-subheadings.

Other approaches are possible depending on the requirements of the document. Not every level needs to be used, and some level skipping is acceptable as long as the document maintains a logical flow between related sections. For example, it is acceptable to skip between level 2 and level 4 headings if there are not enough subsections to warrant the use of level 3.

Repetition and Level Skipping

Headings that are repetitive or appear at an unexpected level might indicate an issue. Ensure that each heading level describes a unique section of the document and that the level skipping does not create an unintended effect.

When using level skipping, ensure that there is a logical reason to place one heading below another. For instance, there is no particular need to use level 4 headings on a technical guide merely to satisfy the requirements of the heading structure validator.

Repeated Headings

Avoid using repeated headings unless the document specifies that it has multiple sections. For example, it is acceptable to use the same set of subheadings for multiple similar products or services.

If the document does not specify repeating sections, consider using unique headings for each part of the document to avoid confusing the reader.

Descriptive Language

Each heading should use descriptive language to identify the contents of the section that follows. Avoid using generic terms such as “More” or “Details” since they do not specify what the section contains. Instead, use descriptive terms that identify the subject matter of the upcoming section.

Semantic Markup

Ensure that the document uses semantic markup to define different parts of the document. Semantic markup helps search engines better understand the document structure and improves accessibility for people who use screen readers or other assistive devices.

Although it is possible to use text elements and adjust their display settings to create the appearance of subheadings, it is generally better to use semantic markup for semantic and accessibility reasons.

Examples of Heading Structure Validation

Use a heading structure validator on different types of documents to see how changes might be applied in practice. In the following examples, assume that a heading structure validator has been used to identify potential issues with the document structure.

Example 1: Blog Post

A blog post has been created using a blogging platform. The document has a main heading followed by several sections. Each section contains multiple subsections and uses the same level of subheadings.

Upon inspection, it becomes apparent that the document does not clearly distinguish between sections and subsections. In accordance with the recommendations, the subsections are updated to use a lower level of subheadings. This allows the blog post to be divided into clearly defined sections and subsections.

Example 2: Website Product Page

A website sells digital products and has a dedicated page for each item. Each product page has a few sections that include general information about the product, detailed specifications, delivery options, and FAQs. Some of the sections use styled text to identify them rather than using semantic subheading elements.

In accordance with the recommendations, some of the text sections are converted to semantic subheadings. This ensures that the document can be understood and processed correctly by different applications and website tools.

Example 3: Service Landing Page

A company provides advisory services and has a landing page that describes the services that it offers. It also contains sections about company values, client testimonials, and contact information. Overall, the page has a few clearly defined sections. However, some of the heading levels did not describe the contents of the section, and the general structure was not intuitive.

In accordance with the recommendations, some of the unclear headings were replaced with more descriptive alternatives. This improved the appearance of the page and allowed users to browse the different sections more easily.

Example 4: Long-form Guide

A long-form technical guide has been written about a complex topic. The document has several sections that follow a logical progression. However, at times, it uses lower-level subheadings for major sections or mixes in unrelated topics.

In accordance with the recommendations, the document is updated to clarify the document outline. Some of the lower-level subheadings were changed to higher-level subheadings to identify major sections. Other topics that did not belong in the same section were moved to separate sections.

Additional Notes and Recommendations

Use these additional notes and recommendations to optimize heading structure across your website:

• Ensure that each heading describes the section that follows. Avoid using generic terms or phrases that do not indicate the purpose of the section.
• Use appropriate heading levels to distinguish between major and minor sections. Follow the general recommendation of level 1 for main headings, level 2 for section headings, and level 3 for subsections.
• Use semantic markup rather than styled text to define headings. Semantic markup improves accessibility and helps search engines to better understand document structure.
• Avoid using unnecessary heading levels. It is perfectly acceptable to skip a level if it improves document structure and makes it easier to follow.
• Use level 1 headings for the main heading on the page. Avoid using unnecessarily large or prominent level 1 headings for other sections.
• Ensure that the overall document structure follows logical progression and does not mix topics that are not related.
• Always update the entire document when making changes to the heading structure. It is easy to update individual section without updating all of the preceding section levels.
• Avoid using the same heading for adjacent sections. Use clearly defined section titles for adjacent sections to avoid confusion.
• Include keywords in the heading to clarify its contents without turning the heading into a sentence.
• Ensure that a single heading level is used for each section. Use level 1 headings for the main heading on the page, and update the level for each additional section heading.
• Examine the document as an entire piece rather than separate sections. It is easy for a heading structure validator to recommend changes that make sense for individual sections but do not follow logically from the preceding text.
• Ensure that the document structure is appropriate for the intended audience. Technical documents, general blogs, and service pages have different requirements.
• Update long-form content such as technical guides and blog posts at least once every few months. New information might need to be added, and older information might need to be removed.