How Heading Structure Affects SEO
Why proper heading hierarchy matters for SEO and how editors can maintain it safely.
Headings are more than just formatting — they create a hierarchy that helps Google understand the structure and importance of your page content. If your headings are out of order or inconsistent, Google gets confused about what matters.
What Headings Are and Why They Matter
Every page has a hierarchy of headings:
H1 (Heading 1) = The main title of the page. Usually only one per page.H2 (Heading 2) = Major section titles.H3 (Heading 3) = Subsection titles under an H2.H4, H5, H6 = Deeper levels (rarely used on league websites).
This hierarchy tells Google what the page is about at a glance. An H1 followed by H2s tells Google ‘Here’s the main topic, and here are the major sections.’ If you jump from H1 straight to H3, Google gets confused.
The Golden Rule: One H1 Per Page
Your page should have exactly one H1. This is usually the page title or the main heading visible at the top of the content. After that H1, use H2s for major sections, and H3s for subsections within those sections. Don’t use a lower heading level (like H3) without having a higher level (like H2) first.
What Editors Must NOT Do
In BeaverBuilder, when you click on a heading module and then the Style tab, you’ll see an option to change the heading level. Do not change this. If a heading is set to H2, leave it as H2. Changing heading levels breaks the page structure and confuses Google.
If you need a heading to look smaller or larger, talk to your web admin about custom CSS — never change the heading level for visual reasons.
What Editors CAN Do
You can rewrite the text of a heading. You can change ‘Spring Schedule’ to ‘Spring 2026 Soccer Schedule.’ You can make the text more keyword-rich. You just can’t change the heading level (H1 to H2, H2 to H3, etc.).
⚠️ Warning: Changing a heading level in BeaverBuilder’s Style tab affects SEO and page structure. Don’t do it. If a heading looks wrong, contact your web admin.
