How Do Headlines Help My Website Rank Better?
How headings help boost website visibility - search result in Google
Why do Headlines Matter for Website Visibility?
Two questions, this above, and in the next heading, are essential to answer before me move on.
Effective headlines are crucial for homepage ranking as they signal relevance to search engines.
They attract user clicks and improve user engagement, all of which are key SEO ranking factors.
They serve as the primary communication point for both algorithms and human visitors, guiding them to understand the page's content and value.
Let me elaborate on that.
Headlines, particularly the H1 tag on a homepage, play a pivotal role in search engine optimization (read my SEO blog).
But remember: Have only 1 H1 on a page!
Having multiple H1’s can be bad, because the two then stand in opposition. Google and other search engines won’t know which to put forward, which they should give more focus to.
It’s the same as multiple content (content here being the H1 tag).
Why are Headlines (Headings) Important for SEO?
One of the answers in the SERPS to How to optimize for Google AI Overviews is “Maybe having well structure content with clear headings”.
Having headlines (those that logically follow after their main heading) on your websites, apart from the main H1, is beneficial for the following reasons:
Keyword Relevance: Search engines analyze headlines to understand the main topic and keywords of a page.
A well-crafted H1 tag that includes primary keywords helps search engines accurately categorize and rank the homepage for relevant queries.
So, put your main keyword in them.
User Experience (UX): Compelling headlines encourage users to click through from search results and engage with the content.
A clear,
concise,
and benefit-oriented headline
immediately communicates the page's value, reducing bounce rates and increasing time on site – positive signals for search engines.
Content Structure: Headlines (H1, H2, H3, etc.) provide a hierarchical structure to the content, making it easier for both users and search engine crawlers to read and understand. This logical flow improves content readability and accessibility.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): In search engine results pages (SERPs), your headline is often the first thing users see.
A captivating headline can significantly boost your CTR, which is a strong indicator to search engines that your content is valuable and relevant.
What About Optimized Headlines and AI Overviews?
Here’s a quick answer: Optimized headlines are even more critical with the advent of AI Overviews, as they can influence whether your content is selected for these summaries and still attract clicks.
While AI Overviews aim to provide direct answers, well-structured and keyword-rich headlines can help your content be the source for these answers and encourage users to explore your site further.
Such quick answers early on after a question posed in the heading are very much liked by AI Overviews.
Google's AI Overviews (formerly Search Generative Experience or SGE) present a new challenge and opportunity for SEO.
These AI-generated summaries appear at the top of SERPs, aiming to provide immediate answers to user queries.
Here's how optimized headlines interact with this new landscape:
Source Identification: AI Overviews pull information from various sources. Clear, authoritative, and well-optimized headlines can help AI algorithms identify your content as a credible and relevant source for their summaries.
Maintaining Visibility: Even if an AI Overview provides a direct answer, users may still seek more in-depth information or different perspectives. A strong, engaging headline below the AI Overview can still entice users to click on your organic listing (and so, there’ll be fewer zero clicks. That’s good for SEO copywriting.)
Long-Tail and Conversational Queries: AI Overviews often cater to more complex, conversational, and long-tail queries (those queries that have longer phrases as keywords. Not one- or two-word keywords).
Optimizing headlines to address these specific questions can increase the likelihood of your content being featured.
Content Quality and Authority: The underlying principle remains: high-quality, comprehensive, and authoritative content is key.
That’s what we are aiming to provide here at Tralangia.
Optimized headlines are a reflection of well-organized and valuable content, which is what AI Overviews prioritize.
Examples Where a Heading Change Makes a Difference: A Digital Marketing Agency
Let's look at a digital marketing agency specializing in SEO and content creation. Their homepage aims to attract small to medium-sized businesses (like Tralangia) looking to improve their online presence.
Here’s what their heading structure looked like before Optimization:
H1: Welcome to Our Agency
H2: Our Services
What’s the Problem: These headlines are generic and don't clearly communicate the agency's core value proposition or target keywords. Search engines would struggle to understand the homepage's primary focus, and potential clients might not immediately see how the agency can solve their problems.
This is what their headings looked like after Optimization (H1-H2-H2)
H1: Boost Your Business Online: Expert SEO & Content Marketing for Growth
Why it works: This H1 is keyword-rich ("SEO," "Content Marketing," "Business Online"), benefit-oriented ("Boost Your Business Online," "for Growth"), and clearly states the agency's expertise. It immediately tells both search engines and visitors what the page is about.
H2: Drive More Traffic & Leads with Our Proven SEO Strategies
Why it works: This H2 continues the theme, using action-oriented language ("Drive More Traffic & Leads") and highlighting a key service ("Proven SEO Strategies"). It's specific and encourages further exploration.
H2: Captivate Your Audience: Engaging Content Creation That Converts
Why it works: This H2 focuses on the content creation aspect, using compelling verbs ("Captivate") and emphasizing the outcome ("Converts").
Let’s see now what’s going to change with these changes in the headings.
What’s the Impact of Heading Changes on AI Overviews?
Optimized headlines will more likely be identified by AI Overviews as a relevant source for queries that meet the demands of searchers.
In the above before-and-after case, AI Overviews will recognize that the above website’s content answers the searcher’s query of "how to get more website traffic for small business" or "best content marketing strategies for lead generation."
Even if the AI Overview provides a summary, the clear and compelling headlines on the agency's page might still encourage users to click through for more detailed information, case studies, or to contact the agency directly.
Let’s now see the same applied to Tralangia’s website.
For that, as well as when I want to get a look at the heading structure of other websites, I usualy use AHREFS.
What Query would Tralangia Answer - Headings on the Main Page?
You can see some of the headings under the Content section in Ahrefs.
The above shows you Ahrefs’ data.
The below data is from an AI tool I got when I asked it to help me write this blog post (of course, I didn’t copy-paste everything. That’s not my thing! I may use some of the headings it gives me, some ideas, but I always paraphrase them and add my own thoughts and findings.)
“Tralangia is a small business dedicated to aiding similar-sized companies in gaining momentum on the internet. We specialize in increasing website traffic and clicks through expert services in copywriting, LinkedIn optimization, and SEO. Our blog articles delve into these areas, providing valuable insights and actionable advice.”
(Links from older articles to this new article)
From "Homepage optimisation - Do it on your own", link to this article: "How do headlines help a homepage rank better?"
From "Case study of homepage optimisation", link to this article: "How do headlines help a homepage rank better?"
From any articles discussing on-page SEO or website ranking, link to this article: "How do headlines help a homepage rank better?"