Heading tags are semantic HTML. They send important information to user agents and assistive technologies about the structure of your content; if you use them incorrectly, the user experience will suffer.
But some semantic HTML mistakes are so common, they’re not really considered “mistakes" anymore. Many pages use subheadings out of their intended hierarchical order, for example — and while we strongly discourage that practice, if your website is at least consistent in how it uses subheading tags, the impact on users with disabilities (and users of all abilities) will be minimal.
With that said, using multiple H1 tags on a single page is a poor practice. The <h1> tag is intended to define the most important heading on a page — essentially, it says “this is what this page is about.” It’s often identical or nearly identical to the page title tag.
Here’s why some web devs resort to using multiple H1 tags — and why that’s a bad idea for both accessibility and search engine optimization (SEO).
Why Developers Might Use Multiple H1 Tags
Developers might employ multiple <h1> tags on a page for several reasons, often stemming from misunderstandings or outdated practices. Early interpretations of the HTML5 specification suggested that sectioning elements (like <article> or <section>) could encapsulate their own heading structures, each potentially starting with an <h1>. The idea was that each section could represent a self-contained piece of content with its own top-level heading.
But the most common reason that devs (and non-devs) use multiple H1 tags is far simpler: They like how it looks.
If a piece of text looks great with your site’s default visual styling for an <h1> tag, you’ll probably reach for that tag when you need that styling — but the best practice is to use HTML for semantics first, then use CSS to fine-tune the appearance of your content.
Related: Plain Old Semantic HTML: A Perfect Basis for Accessibility
How Multiple H1s Harm Accessibility and SEO
Regardless of the intent, using more than one <h1> on a single page creates some problems:
- Semantic Ambiguity: Screen readers and other assistive technologies rely on the <h1> to announce the primary purpose of the page. When multiple <h1> tags are present, users must ask which heading truly represents the main topic.
- Diluted SEO Signals: While search engines like Google have become sophisticated at parsing page structure, the <h1> tag remains a strong signal indicating the page's primary subject matter. Using multiple <h1>s dilutes this signal.
- Breaking the Logical Hierarchy: A web page should have a clear, hierarchical outline, much like any other type of document. The <h1> serves as the main title of that outline. Subsequent headings (<h2>, <h3>, etc.) should logically branch off from this single starting point.
So, how big of an issue is this?
From a search perspective, you’re more likely to notice a negative SEO impact if your website is new. With established websites, Google and other search engines will probably be able to figure out what you were trying to do.
Google Search advocate John Mueller has discounted the importance of multiple H1 tags on individual pages, provided that those pages “make sense in the context.”
“In short, when thinking about this topic, SEO shouldn’t be your primary objective,” Mueller said. “Instead, think about your users. If you have ways of making your content accessible to them, be it by using multiple H1 tags or other standard HTML constructs, that’s not going to get in the way of your SEO efforts.”
The bottom line: Google tries to figure out how your website is structured. If you present a clear structure, that’s much easier, and you’re more likely to get the ranking you deserve.
Related: How Headings Help People with Disabilities Navigate a Website
Avoid Using Multiple H1s, Unless You've Got a Very Good Reason To Do So
The fact is that there’s very rarely sufficient context to use multiple H1s on one page. And given that it’s extremely easy to do things the right way (that is, use <h> tags in their proper hierarchical order), this is another case where prioritizing accessibility can pay off.
To learn more about how accessibility benefits SEO, read: Five Ways to Improve Your SEO with Web Accessibility. If you’re ready to see how your site stacks up against the international standards for accessible design, get started with a free automated analysis from AudioEye.
