EngineeringScoreSEO Small
Use exactly one H1 per page
The <h1> is the strongest heading signal on a page for both search engines and assistive technology, and both assume there is exactly one that names the page's primary topic. Zero H1s leaves that signal missing entirely; more than one dilutes it and makes the document outline ambiguous.
Why it matters
Multiple or missing H1s confuse search engines and screen readers about what the page's main topic actually is, diluting SEO relevance and hurting accessibility.
How to fix
- 1 Audit the page's heading structure.
- 2 Keep exactly one <h1> describing the primary topic; demote any others to h2/h3.
Common mistakes
- Using multiple <h1> tags because a page template repeats a hero heading and a separate content heading without checking heading levels.
- Using an <h1> purely for visual styling (large, bold text) on an element that is not actually the page's main topic, then reusing the tag elsewhere for real headings.
- Skipping heading levels (h1 straight to h3) while fixing the H1 count, which still leaves an inconsistent document outline.
How to verify
- 1 View page source or use a heading-outline browser extension and confirm exactly one <h1> is present.
- 2 Confirm the H1 text describes the actual primary topic of the page, not a generic template string.
- 3 Check that the rest of the heading hierarchy (h2, h3, ...) nests logically beneath it.
Related checks
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