{"id":5137,"date":"2026-07-17T14:47:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T18:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/?p=5137"},"modified":"2026-07-17T15:03:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T19:03:03","slug":"using-headings-properly-a-quick-seo-and-accessibility-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/2026\/using-headings-properly-a-quick-seo-and-accessibility-win\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Headings Properly: A Quick SEO &#038; Accessibility Win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n            <div class=\"cu-textmedia flex flex-col lg:flex-row mx-auto gap-6 md:gap-10 my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 max-w-5xl\">\n        <div class=\"justify-start cu-textmedia-content cu-prose-first-last\" style=\"flex: 0 0 100%;\">\n            <header class=\"font-light prose-xl cu-pageheader md:prose-2xl cu-component-updated cu-prose-first-last\">\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold !mt-2 mb-4 md:mb-6 relative after:absolute after:h-px after:bottom-0 after:bg-cu-red after:left-px text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] pb-5 after:w-10 text-cu-black-700 not-prose\">\n                        Using Headings Properly: A Quick SEO &#038; Accessibility Win\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                                \n                            <\/header>\n\n                    <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p>Good headings make your content easier to read, easier to navigate, and easier to find. In just a few minutes, you can improve your page by using headings correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"why-headings-matter\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Headings Matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Headings help visitors quickly scan a page and find the information they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Improve accessibility for screen reader users<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Help search engines understand your content<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Break up large blocks of text<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make pages easier to read on mobile devices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of headings as a roadmap for your page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"your-page-title-is-already-the-h1\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Your Page Title is Already the H1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In cuTheme, the page title automatically becomes the page&#8217;s main heading (H1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That means you don&#8217;t need to add another H1 within your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, start your page sections with <strong>Heading 2 (H2)<\/strong> blocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Page Title (H1)<\/strong>: Undergraduate Admissions<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>H2<\/strong>: Admission Requirements<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>H2<\/strong>: Important Dates<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>H2<\/strong>: Tuition and Fees<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"five-tips-for-using-headings\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Five Tips for Using Headings <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"1-use-headings-in-logical-order\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Use Headings in Logical Order<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Headings should follow a hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>H2: Programs<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; H3: Undergraduate Programs<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; H3: Graduate Programs<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>H2: Admission Requirements<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; H3: Domestic Students<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp; H3: International Students<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each heading level supports the one above it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"2-dont-skip-levels\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Don&#8217;t Skip Levels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Try to move through heading levels in order:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>H2 \u2192 H3 \u2192 H4<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>H2 \u2192 H4<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A clear structure helps assistive technologies understand your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"3-dont-use-headings-to-make-text-bigger\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Don&#8217;t Use Headings to Make Text Bigger<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A heading should indicate a section of content 0 not be used for formatting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of choosing a heading because you like how it looks, ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> Does the text introduce a new section?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If the answer is yes, use a heading.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If not, use regular paragraph text or another formatting option.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"4-make-headings-descriptive\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Make Headings Descriptive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Good headings tell visitors what they&#8217;ll find next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n        \n    <div class=\"grid gap-6 mx-auto my-6 cu-column md:gap-10 md:grid-cols-2 md:my-10 first:mt-0\">\n        \n<div class=\"cu-column-content\">\n    \n\n<p>Instead of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Information<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Resources<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Learn More<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"cu-column-content\">\n    \n\n<p>Try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Funding Opportunities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Accessibility Resources<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Frequently Asked Questions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p>Clear headings help both people and search engines understand your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"5-break-up-long-pages-with-headings-and-subheadings\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Break Up Long Pages with Headings and Subheadings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your page contains several long paragraphs without headings, visitors may struggle to scan the content. Adding headings creates natural stopping points and makes pages feel more approachable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A good rule of thumb:<strong class=\"myprefix-text-bold\"><em class=\"myprefix-text-italic\"> <\/em>if a section covers a new topic, give it a heading.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"quick-heading-checklist\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quick Heading Checklist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before publishing a page, check that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The page title clearly describes the page topic<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Major sections use H2 headings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Subsections use H3 headings when needed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Heading levels follow a logical order<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Headings are descriptive and meaningful<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Headings are used for structure, not appearance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"final-tip\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Tip<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Try reading only the headings on your page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If someone can understand the main topics without reading the full text, you&#8217;ve probably created a strong heading structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s one of the simplest improvements you can make for readability, accessibility, and SEO all at the same time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more guidance on creating accessible headings, see our web accessibility article, <a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/webaccessibility\/subheadings-must-be-proper-subheadings\/\">Create Proper Subheadings<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Good headings make your content easier to read, easier to navigate, and easier to find. In just a few minutes, you can improve your page by using headings correctly. Why Headings Matter Headings help visitors quickly scan a page and find the information they need. They also: Think of headings as a roadmap for your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[50,51,25,44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-accessibility","category-seo","category-tips-tricks","category-writing-for-the-web"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5137"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5142,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5137\/revisions\/5142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/cutheme-docs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}