4 min read#page-titles#headings#website-copy

Titles and Headings: A Field Guide

How to write page titles and headings that tell visitors and search engines what each page is for, with a before and after example.

Titles and headings are the signposts of a website. A visitor skims them to decide whether to stay, and a search engine reads them to understand the page. They cost nothing to improve and they are usually the first thing worth fixing on a small site.

Two different things called titles

The page title is what appears in the browser tab and as the blue line in search results. The main heading, often called the H1, is the large line at the top of the page itself. They are related but separate, and each deserves its own thought.

The page title is written for people scanning a list of results. It should say what the page is and who it is from, in a sentence-length phrase. The main heading is written for the person who has already arrived, and it should confirm they are in the right place.

One main heading per page

Each page should have exactly one main heading that states its subject. If the page is about wedding cakes, the heading says so. Below it, smaller headings divide the page into sections, each describing what follows. Think of an outline: one title, then sections, then sub-sections when needed.

Skipping levels, or choosing a heading size because it looks right, confuses both people using screen readers and the programs that read the page. Pick the level that matches the structure, then change the style if you want a different look.

Say the useful thing first

A heading that begins with the useful word works harder than one that begins with filler. “Opening hours and directions” tells the reader what they will find. “Come and see us” does not. A clever line can follow, but the plain one should lead.

Keep titles short enough to be read in full. If a title is long, the important words should come first, because the end may be cut off in results.

A worked example

This is an invented before and after, shown only as wording. Example Plumbing has a services page.

Before: page title “Services”. Main heading “What we do”. Sections headed “Stuff we fix” and “Other things”.

After: page title “Plumbing services in Example Town | Example Plumbing”. Main heading “Plumbing services”. Sections headed “Leaking taps and pipes”, “Water heaters” and “Blocked drains”.

Each heading now answers a question a customer might type into a search box, and the structure reads like a table of contents.

Titles for pages people share

A page title also appears when someone pastes your link into a message or a social post, so it is often the first thing a stranger reads about you. Read yours as if you had never heard of the business. Does it say what the page offers and where? If a friend forwarded it to you, would you know whether to click? That test catches vague titles faster than any checklist.

Common mistakes

  • Using the same title on every page.
  • Using more than one main heading, or none.
  • Choosing headings for their size instead of their meaning.
  • Writing titles that are only the business name.
  • Stuffing a title with repeated keywords, which reads badly and helps nobody.

Try this today

  1. List the title of each of your pages and make sure no two are identical.
  2. Give every page a single main heading that names its subject plainly.
  3. Rewrite any heading that is a joke or a slogan so that it also says what the section contains.

Field notes

  • The page title is for the results list; the main heading is for the visitor who arrived.
  • One main heading per page, then sections in order.
  • Lead with the useful word.
  • Headings are an outline, so keep the levels honest.
  • Plain beats clever when the reader is skimming.

Would you rather not build all of this by hand? websiites.com creates a complete website from a paragraph about your business, and you can see the finished site before you pay anything. The how it works page walks through the steps.