Definition
Heading tags (H1 to H6) are the HTML elements that organize a web page into a hierarchy, from the main H1 title down to H2 sections and H3 to H6 subsections, so that search engines and readers can understand how the content is structured. Google reads them as the outline of the page.
In plain English
Every page on your website has an invisible but decisive structure in its HTML code: the heading tags. The H1 announces the main topic (only one per page), the H2 tags divide the page into its major sections, and the H3 tags break those sections into subsections. This hierarchy tells Google how you organize your legal reasoning.
A well-structured page reads like the outline of a brief: a title, the main arguments, then the supporting points. Search engines rely on that outline to judge how relevant your content is to a query. A consistent structure improves your SEO and makes the page easier to read for prospective clients.
The common mistake is choosing tags for how they look rather than for what they mean. A bold H3 can look like an H2, but Google reads the code, not the design. Following the top-down order (H1, then H2, then H3, without skipping a level) makes sure your expertise is indexed correctly.
For a law firm
An employment law firm publishes an article on layoffs written for business owners. The H1 reads "Layoffs: The Process and the Employer's Obligations." The H2 tags lay out the steps: "Choosing the Positions to Cut," "Notifying Employees," and "Severance Pay." Under the "Notifying Employees" H2, an H3 covers "When to Send the Written Notice."
This structure lets Google see that the page covers layoffs thoroughly, with sections it can identify. When a business owner searches "employer layoff notice requirements," the search engine can point straight to the relevant section. The firm gains visibility on precise keywords without multiplying pages, and the reader gets to the answer right away.
The Hendy figure
Across the law firms we work with, 60% of pages initially had several H1 tags or skipped levels (H2 to H4), creating semantic confusion that hurt their search rankings.
Put simply, most of the pages we audit start with a heading problem, and fixing it changes the tags, not the text.
Key takeaways
- One H1 per page, summing up the topic clearly.
- Follow the top-down hierarchy without skipping a level (H1, then H2, then H3).
- Structure the content like a legal outline: a main title, the arguments, then the supporting points.