The first heading on the page is the most important. Make sure the first heading clearly states the purpose of the page and includes the most important key words.

• Keep headings to a maximum of 4 - 8 words.
• Use the key word or words from the following text.
• Cut out as many adjectives and prepositions as you can (e.g. and, the, a, of)
• Be clear and precise.
• Don't try to be clever.

Ask yourself: is this heading…

• clear?
• informative?
• objective?
• concise?

Leave the writing for a day or so and then check headings again. See if you can find a simpler (or shorter) way to say the same thing.

Stay in Context

Make sure headings are in context with their content.

If you're writing from scratch, write the headings last. If you're repurposing or editing, check the headings again once the content is done.

If headings suggest a specific format for the content, make sure you follow that format. For example:

Ten Ways To …	Include a numbered list.
How To …	Include a step-by-step process or procedure.

Questions as Headings

Questions make good headings, they can catch the eye and arouse curiosity. Just make sure to answer the question - in the first paragraph.

Compare the following examples:

Example 1

Why Do We Need Web Writing Guidelines? It is easy to understand why content repurposing and specific Web content creation are often considered less important issues than navigation or design layout. …..

Example 2

Why Do We Need Web Writing Guidelines? We need Web writing guidelines to understand why and how we need to change the way we write for the Web. …..

Heading/Content Relationship

Headings and body text are separate elements, remember to keep them separate. Ensure the paragraph text can stand alone, and doesn't flow on from the header.

Compare the following examples:

Example 1

Who can apply for funding? Unemployed people.

Example 2

Who can apply for funding? Unemployed people can apply for funding.

There's an exception to this rule when dealing with FAQs. Commonly accepted practice states that answers to questions in FAQs can relate directly back to question headers, as if answering the question orally.

Structure Headings

Use a hierarchical structure for headings. The first heading should cover the main subject area, break sub-headings down into narrow topic areas.

For example:

Using Headings in Web Writing        Stay in Context        Questions as Headings        Structure Headings        Sub-Headings as Formatting

Try not to go down further than one level of sub-headings if you can avoid it. Level 3 headings online are confusing for readers and can be hard to read in lower resolutions (e.g. 800 x 600).

If a topic must have Level 3 headings, consider creating a separate topic for that heading.

Sub-Headings as Formatting

Sub-headings don't only help readers scan/navigate the page, but also break up long lines of text.

Try not to make readers scroll for more than 1.5 screen pages without seeing a sub-heading.

Choosing Words in Web Writing Write In Your Web Reader's Framework

Related:
Metadata In Web Headings