Multiple H1 Tags: Good or Bad for SEO?

It was a small statement, but it made waves in the SEO world: according to John Mueller, Webmaster Trends Analyst at Google, having multiple H1 tags on a page is not necessarily bad for SEO. The key is to use them well and not overdo it. Here’s what he said.

The Never-Ending H1 Debate

It is a topic that always sparks discussion: how much do H1 tags matter on a page? For years, opinions have been split. Some say a page should have only one H1 and that using more hurts rankings. Others see no problem with two or three H1s on a page. Google has always kept things a little vague, but John Mueller’s comments during a video hangout on September 27, 2019, shook up the SEO community. (For the basics of headings, titles, and other on-page elements, see our on-page SEO guide.)

Multiple H1 Tags, According to John Mueller

Back in 2017, John Mueller, one of the best-known voices on search at Google, had already addressed H1 tags. His position was the same then: using several H1 tags is not a problem, as long as it doesn’t tip into spam. Asked again during this video hangout, he confirmed it.

For Google, a site doesn’t need to be structured around a single H1. A page can rank very well with four H1 tags, or with none at all. Of course, from the reader’s point of view, a page with one clear main title and well-organized subheadings is easier to read. But from an HTML standpoint, multiple H1 tags are not an issue, despite what some SEO audit tools report. (Our technical SEO audit checklist focuses on the checks that actually matter.) Some SEOs argue, however, that each H1 carries less weight when a page has several of them, for example three instead of one.

After Mueller’s comments, multiple H1 tags may well become more common. Curious SEOs will certainly test them to measure the effects, good or bad, on their own sites. Either way, his remarks are food for thought, and a good reminder that a clear, well-written title tag and a logical heading structure matter more than counting H1s.

You can watch John Mueller’s answer on multiple H1 tags in the September 27, 2019, Google Webmaster Central office-hours hangout (at 23:46).

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