Mike the SEO Guy
Menu
Full-service SEOSEO content writingBlog writingContent optimisationTechnical SEOSEO auditSEO web designEcommerce SEOB2B SEOSaaS SEOPricingResultsGuidesFree SEO toolsAboutSend a message

— Free SEO tool

H1 checker

Every page needs a clear main heading. This lists the H1 on each page of your site and flags the ones that are missing or doubled up.

Free tool · H1 checker

Check the main heading on every page

Put in your home page. The checker reads up to 50 pages and lists each page’s H1, flagging pages with none, an empty one, or several.

Pages come from your sitemap, or by following links from the home page if there isn’t one. Results aren’t stored anywhere. Pages built entirely with JavaScript may show as empty, because this reads the HTML your server sends.

01 How it works

What it checks, and why it matters

01

No H1

Google uses headings, among other things, to work out what a page is called. A page with no clear main heading makes that harder, and it’s one of the reasons Google gives for rewriting title links.

02

Several H1s

Google has said more than one H1 isn’t a problem for ranking. It’s flagged as “check” rather than a problem: usually it means a logo or a theme element is marked up as an H1 by mistake.

03

Screen readers

People using screen readers jump between headings to find their way around. One clear H1 at the top tells them what the page is.

Sources: Google: Title links · Google: SEO Starter Guide

02 Questions

What people ask

Can a page have more than one H1?

Google says it copes fine. It’s still worth having one clear main heading: it’s easier for visitors, screen readers and Google to tell what the page is about.

Should the H1 match the title tag?

It doesn’t need to. They should describe the same page, but the H1 can be written for someone who’s already there.

Why does the checker say no H1 when I can see a heading?

The heading may be styled to look big without being marked up as an H1, or it may be added by JavaScript after the page loads. This checker reads the HTML the server sends.

03 More free tools

Title tag checkerTitles that are missing, over 70 characters or copied across pages.Alt text checkerImages with no alt text, page by page, with the file names.Meta description checkerEvery page’s description: missing, duplicated or likely to be cut short.

All free SEO tools →

— Next step

Start with a free SEO audit

Send me your site and you’ll get a short, honest read on what’s wrong. If you want the detail after that, the full audit is a paid piece of work, or part of a retainer.

Get the free audit Usually a reply within a working day.
  • 01The main things holding your site back, in plain English
  • 02Which of them are worth fixing first
  • 03Whether a full audit or a retainer makes sense, or neither