Skip to content
    Moz logo Menu open Menu close
    • Products
      • Moz Pro
      • Moz Pro Home
      • Moz Local
      • Moz Local Home
      • STAT
      • Moz API
      • Moz API Home
      • Compare SEO Products
      • Moz Data
    • Free SEO Tools
      • Domain Analysis
      • Keyword Explorer
      • Link Explorer
      • Competitive Research
      • MozBar
      • More Free SEO Tools
    • Learn SEO
      • Beginner's Guide to SEO
      • SEO Learning Center
      • Moz Academy
      • MozCon
      • Webinars, Whitepapers, & Guides
    • Blog
    • Why Moz
      • Digital Marketers
      • Agency Solutions
      • Enterprise Solutions
      • Small Business Solutions
      • The Moz Story
      • New Releases
    • Log in
    • Log out
    • Products
      • Moz Pro

        Your all-in-one suite of SEO essentials.

      • Moz Local

        Raise your local SEO visibility with complete local SEO management.

      • STAT

        SERP tracking and analytics for enterprise SEO experts.

      • Moz API

        Power your SEO with our index of over 44 trillion links.

      • Compare SEO Products

        See which Moz SEO solution best meets your business needs.

      • Moz Data

        Power your SEO strategy & AI models with custom data solutions.

      Track AI Overviews in Keyword Research
      Moz Pro

      Track AI Overviews in Keyword Research

      Try it free!
    • Free SEO Tools
      • Domain Analysis

        Get top competitive SEO metrics like DA, top pages and more.

      • Keyword Explorer

        Find traffic-driving keywords with our 1.25 billion+ keyword index.

      • Link Explorer

        Explore over 40 trillion links for powerful backlink data.

      • Competitive Research

        Uncover valuable insights on your organic search competitors.

      • MozBar

        See top SEO metrics for free as you browse the web.

      • More Free SEO Tools

        Explore all the free SEO tools Moz has to offer.

      NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic
      Moz Pro

      NEW Keyword Suggestions by Topic

      Learn more
    • Learn SEO
      • Beginner's Guide to SEO

        The #1 most popular introduction to SEO, trusted by millions.

      • SEO Learning Center

        Broaden your knowledge with SEO resources for all skill levels.

      • On-Demand Webinars

        Learn modern SEO best practices from industry experts.

      • How-To Guides

        Step-by-step guides to search success from the authority on SEO.

      • Moz Academy

        Upskill and get certified with on-demand courses & certifications.

      • MozCon

        Save on Early Bird tickets and join us in London or New York City

      Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints
      Moz API

      Unlock flexible pricing & new endpoints

      Find your plan
    • Blog
    • Why Moz
      • Digital Marketers

        Simplify SEO tasks to save time and grow your traffic.

      • Small Business Solutions

        Uncover insights to make smarter marketing decisions in less time.

      • Agency Solutions

        Earn & keep valuable clients with unparalleled data & insights.

      • Enterprise Solutions

        Gain a competitive edge in the ever-changing world of search.

      • The Moz Story

        Moz was the first & remains the most trusted SEO company.

      • New Releases

        Get the scoop on the latest and greatest from Moz.

      Surface actionable competitive intel
      New Feature

      Surface actionable competitive intel

      Learn More
    • Log in
      • Moz Pro
      • Moz Local
      • Moz Local Dashboard
      • Moz API
      • Moz API Dashboard
      • Moz Academy
    • Avatar
      • Moz Home
      • Notifications
      • Account & Billing
      • Manage Users
      • Community Profile
      • My Q&A
      • My Videos
      • Log Out

    The Moz Q&A Forum

    • Forum
    • Questions
    • Users
    • Ask the Community

    Welcome to the Q&A Forum

    Browse the forum for helpful insights and fresh discussions about all things SEO.

    1. Home
    2. SEO Tactics
    3. On-Page Optimization
    4. H2 tags always recommended? Or ok without?

    Moz Q&A is closed.

    After more than 13 years, and tens of thousands of questions, Moz Q&A closed on 12th December 2024. Whilst we’re not completely removing the content - many posts will still be possible to view - we have locked both new posts and new replies. More details here.

    H2 tags always recommended? Or ok without?

    On-Page Optimization
    html header h1 h2 h3
    5
    5
    1461
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as question
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with question management privileges can see it.
    • NRSmart
      NRSmart Subscriber last edited by

      Is it ok to have no h2 tags? There are no "keywords" relevant to the product in these example h2 tags. Also, is it ok to not have a PRODUCT DESCRIPTION header, or is it better with that header? It's for a "product page".

      Examples:

      <h1>Used Bow Front Desk With Mahogany Laminate</h1>
      <h2 style="display:inline;">QTY:</h2> 3 - <h2 style="display:inline;">Manufacturer:</h2> Hon
      <h2>Product Description:</h2>
      <p>This bow front desk is in excellent condition.  It has a beautiful mahogany laminate.</p>
      

      OR (no h2 tags or product description header at all)

      <h1>Used Bow Front Desk With Mahogany Laminate</h1>
      <p>QTY: 3 - Manufacturer: Hon</p>
      <p>This bow front desk is in excellent condition.  It has a beautiful mahogany laminate.</p>
      

      I prefer the last one as it's much simpler, but I'm curious if search engines would prefer the existence of h2 tags in the first version.

      Thanks,
      Todd

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • skchad13j
        skchad13j last edited by

        @NRSmart said in H2 tags always recommended? Or ok without?:

        Is it ok to have no h2 tags? There are no "keywords" relevant to the product in these example h2 tags. Also, is it ok to not have a PRODUCT DESCRIPTION header, or is it better with that header? It's for a "product page".
        Examples:
        <h1>Used Bow Front Desk With Mahogany Laminate</h1>
        <h2 style="display:inline;">QTY:</h2> 3 - <h2 style="display:inline;">Manufacturer:</h2> Hon
        <h2>Product Description:</h2>
        <p>This bow front desk is in excellent condition. It has a beautiful mahogany laminate.</p>

        OR (no h2 tags or product description header at all)
        <h1>Used Bow Front Desk With Mahogany Laminate</h1>
        <p>QTY: 3 - Manufacturer: Hon</p>
        <p>This bow front desk is in excellent condition. It has a beautiful mahogany laminate.</p>

        I prefer the last one as it's much simpler, but I'm curious if search engines would prefer the existence of h2 tags in the first version.
        Thanks,
        Todd

        In terms of SEO and HTML structure, it's generally recommended to use H2 tags for better organization and accessibility. However, it's not always mandatory, and the choice can depend on the specific context and design of your webpage.
        (Study abroad)
        The first example uses H2 tags to structure the content, which can help search engines understand the hierarchy of information on the page. It can be beneficial for SEO, especially if the content is more extensive.
        (Canada PR)
        The second example, without H2 tags, is simpler and can still be acceptable. It's more about user experience and design preference. If your product page is short and straightforward, and you find the design cleaner without H2 tags, it should be okay.
        (PMP Exam Prep)
        In summary, both approaches can work, but the use of H2 tags is generally recommended for SEO and content organization. However, it's not a strict rule, and the choice can depend on your specific needs and design preferences.
        ( 2 Year Post Graduate Diploma Canada)

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • Adam_Williams
          Adam_Williams last edited by

          It defines the second-level headings on your page. Like a H1 tag, a H2 tag also appears larger than the rest of your main body text. However, H2 tags are always slightly smaller than your H1 tag, so that it does not compete with your main heading. Keep in mind that heading tags don't stop at H2. This strategy makes it simpler for web crawlers to properly index the content for the most important search questions, which likewise makes it almost certain for the webpage to rank higher for those keywords in the web search results pages (SERPs). For more understanding, read the full blog here: https://www.inbound.blog/on-page-optimization/

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • ehishab
            ehishab last edited by

            H2 tags are not always recommended, but they serve a specific purpose in structuring the content of a web page. In HTML, H2 tags represent second-level headings, which are typically used to organize content hierarchically under an H1 (first-level heading).

            Whether or not to use H2 tags depends on the structure and content of your webpage. Here are some guidelines:

            Hierarchy and Structure: If your content has a clear hierarchy with sections or subsections, it's a good practice to use H2 tags to denote those subsections under the main headings (H1 tags). This helps search engines and users understand the organization of your content.

            Accessibility: Properly structured HTML, including the use of H2 tags, can improve the accessibility of your website for users who rely on screen readers or other assistive technologies. It ensures that the content is presented in a logical and understandable order.

            SEO: Search engines use heading tags to understand the content and hierarchy of your page. Using H2 tags appropriately can positively impact your SEO by helping search engines better index and rank your content.

            Readability: Breaking content into sections with clear headings (H2 tags) makes it more readable and scannable for users. It helps them quickly find the information they're looking for.

            Consistency: Maintaining consistency in your HTML structure, including the use of H2 tags, makes your code cleaner and easier to maintain.

            However, there may be cases where using H2 tags is not necessary. For very simple web pages with minimal content or if your content doesn't naturally lend itself to hierarchical structuring, you might not need H2 tags. In such cases, you can use other formatting techniques to make your content clear and readable.

            In summary, while H2 tags are not an absolute requirement for every web page, they are a valuable tool for organizing and structuring content, improving accessibility, and enhancing SEO. Their use should be determined by the specific needs and structure of your website.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • Suvidit-Academy
              Suvidit-Academy last edited by

              Yes, it is okay to have no h2 tags on a product page. H2 tags are not required for SEO, and they can actually be harmful if they are not used correctly. For example, if you use h2 tags for keywords that are not relevant to the product, you could actually hurt your ranking in search results.

              In your example, the h2 tags "QTY:", "Manufacturer:", and "Product Description:" are not relevant to the product itself. They are more like metadata that helps to provide information about the product. This information is still important, but it does not need to be marked up with h2 tags.

              The last version of your example is the simplest and most effective. It uses h1 tags for the main heading and p tags for the rest of the content. This is a clear and concise way to structure your product page, and it will not hurt your SEO.

              If you do decide to use h2 tags on your product pages, make sure that you use them correctly. Only use h2 tags for headings that are relevant to the product itself. And avoid using h2 tags for keywords that are not relevant to the product.

              Here are some additional tips for using h2 tags on product pages:

              • Use h2 tags to break up your content into logical sections.
              • Use h2 tags for the main features of your product.
              • Avoid using h2 tags for keywords that are not relevant to the product.

              You can use h2 tags to improve the structure and readability of your product pages without hurting your SEO.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • 1 / 1
              • First post
                Last post

              Got a burning SEO question?

              Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.


              Start my free trial


              Browse Questions

              Explore more categories

              • Moz Tools

                Chat with the community about the Moz tools.

              • SEO Tactics

                Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers

              • Community

                Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!

              • Digital Marketing

                Chat about tactics outside of SEO

              • Research & Trends

                Dive into research and trends in the search industry.

              • Support

                Connect on product support and feature requests.

              • See all categories

              Related Questions

              • jtiernanibm

                How best to wrap anchor tags around a product tile

                anchor tags ecommerce product listing page

                Hi Say I am on a Product Listing page on ecommerce website and I have product tiles which contain images and name/price underneath them. Is it better to wrap the whole product tile (image and name/price) in an anchor tag (linking to their product page) or to wrap the image and the name/price underneath in anchor tags separately (linking to the product page) ? thanks

                On-Page Optimization | | jtiernanibm
                0
              • Green_Beauty

                My website have h1 tags , but still crawlers can't find them?

                crawlers can't crawl my meta description and h1 tags even when they are present.

                On-Page Optimization | | Green_Beauty
                0
              • HectorCortes

                Commas in title tags

                Hello Guys, Thanks in advance for all who can help me with this I am helping a dinnerware company with their SEO. I told them to change their ambiguous  title tags for more specific ones. However, they opted to create some title tags with 2 or three keywords separated by commas. I have attached an excel image illustrating their new title tags.. My question is, will this format be a problem with Google--penalties? The questionable title tags are highlighted in light orange. Thanks! lHH92

                On-Page Optimization | | HectorCortes
                0
              • BruceA

                How to 301 redirect, without access to .htaccess and to a new domain

                There are few ways to do this and I would like to ask other Mozzers if they have found the best way. We have a site .co.uk and are moving it back to .com.  However we do not have any access to the site folders for .co.uk.  (We have to move it anyway as our provider is withdrawing their service). We have built our URL 301 redirect file and it is ready to go, but how to impliment it? We can repoint .co.uk to another site, and then redirect all traffic for each URL but this is quite messy, or just forget trying to 301 each page and just rediect the whole site.
                the .com has more authority already, but we ready do not want to frustrate visitors who are using a link to reach a product, only to find they hit our homepage and not the product. Your thoughts would be very welcome or other ideas Bruce

                On-Page Optimization | | BruceA
                0
              • kcourtem

                Colons in title tag?

                Does Google view the colon as a keyword separator like it does with the pipe (|) character? Currently, our site automatically constructs the title tag based on the page name given by the user.  Long ago, we started using the colon character to visually separate the brand & model of the product from the size, and as a result, all of our title tags have been constructed this way. This was done more to make it easier to read for humans than for search engines.  My question is - should I consider getting rid of the colon from our title tags? To give more info, our website sells tires. So, for any given model of tire, there might be 25-100 different individual sizes.  The tags are constructed as follows:  (brand)(model) : (size).   Here's an example from our site: GENERAL ALTIMAX ARCTIC : 225/45R17 91Q The brand is General Tire, the model is the Altimax Arctic and the size is 225/45R17 91Q Since this entire string really constitutes the full product name, should I remove the colon so that Google views it that way?  Or, since I have used a colon instead of a pipe, will Google simply ignore it and treat the entire string as one keyword phrase?

                On-Page Optimization | | kcourtem
                0
              • dhanson24

                H2's vs Meta description

                in some of my serp results the h2's are showing up instead of the meta description. i have read that H2's arent really valid anymore. can someone clarify this for me?

                On-Page Optimization | | dhanson24
                0
              • mullsey

                Can I place H1 tag anywhere on page

                Hello, For those of you who use Magento you will know it is not SEO friendly. When you create a category or product, the name of the product or category then becomes the H1 tag.  We sell mens business shirts.  For example we have a product called 'White poplin classic fit' this is also the H1 tag, nobody is ever going to search for that term so I have had my developer create a new attribute that allows me to keep the product name as it is and let's me create a new SEO friendly H1 tag, for example 'White business shirt'  However, placing 'White business shirt' on the page to be visible by the visitor does not look good on the page. My question is.  Can I place the H1 tag anywhere on the page?  I have some tabs like below.  I am thinking of add a tab in between delivery and returns called more info and placing more seo keywords including the H1 tag in this tab. Will this be OK or will this be seen as black hat technique?

                On-Page Optimization | | mullsey
                0
              • bvalentine

                Should I include location in title tag to rank higher in local search

                I'm working on a site for a small guest house (http://www.tommysonthebeach.com).  I have created a Google Place page (Bing and Yahoo Local) as well and I have the address in the footer on every page. I have the location (Indian Rocks Beach) at the beginning of most titles tags because that is how people tend to search, e.g. "Indian Rocks Beach vacation rental." In theory I would think that I don't need location in the title tag because Google knows the location, and I could use the real estate for other keywords suchs as "pet friendly" or "beach hotel," etc. But when I look at the SERPS, those ranking highly all seem to have the location at the beginning of the title tag. Thanks. P.S. The site is currently not showing up in Google local search apparently because Google thinks it's a vacation rental agency, which are not allowed in local search. I'm trying to get that fixed.

                On-Page Optimization | | bvalentine
                0

              Get started with Moz Pro!

              Unlock the power of advanced SEO tools and data-driven insights.

              Start my free trial
              Products
              • Moz Pro
              • Moz Local
              • Moz API
              • Moz Data
              • STAT
              • Product Updates
              Moz Solutions
              • SMB Solutions
              • Agency Solutions
              • Enterprise Solutions
              • Digital Marketers
              Free SEO Tools
              • Domain Authority Checker
              • Link Explorer
              • Keyword Explorer
              • Competitive Research
              • Brand Authority Checker
              • Local Citation Checker
              • MozBar Extension
              • MozCast
              Resources
              • Blog
              • SEO Learning Center
              • Help Hub
              • Beginner's Guide to SEO
              • How-to Guides
              • Moz Academy
              • API Docs
              About Moz
              • About
              • Team
              • Careers
              • Contact
              Why Moz
              • Case Studies
              • Testimonials
              Get Involved
              • Become an Affiliate
              • MozCon
              • Webinars
              • Practical Marketer Series
              • MozPod
              Connect with us

              Contact the Help team

              Join our newsletter
              Moz logo
              © 2021 - 2025 SEOMoz, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. All rights reserved. Moz is a registered trademark of SEOMoz, Inc.
              • Accessibility
              • Terms of Use
              • Privacy

              Looks like your connection to Moz was lost, please wait while we try to reconnect.