What is a Subheading? How to Write Them for SEO & Engagement

Will a good subheading save you? Content Marketing has become overcrowded and chaotic, with countless blogs vying for attention. Readers have become skilled at quickly scanning content and are tired of being lured in by catchy headlines only to be disappointed by average content.

Up to 90% of readers bounce from the average website within 10-20 seconds of arriving. That is a terrible performance and no way to leave a first impression. How do you reduce that bounce rate?

Your headline or title is intended to hook, entertain, shock, and, above all else, create curiosity. Its purpose is to pull readers further into your content to stay long enough to realize how stellar the information and writing are and continue reading and returning to new content as it is posted.

What the headline does for the post, the subhead does for each section of content.

What Is a Subheading and Why Does it Matter for SEO?

A subheading is a secondary heading that breaks a long text into smaller, more manageable, and readable chunks. It is typically used to introduce a new topic or summarize a section's main points.

• Headlines that are 60 characters or less get 65% more clicks than headlines that are longer than 60 characters. Short and sweet wins the race when it comes to headlines. So, when scanning through search results, they are more likely to pause and read a headline that is concise and to the point.

• Headlines that use numbers get 26% more clicks than headlines that don't use numbers. Headlines that provide precise information are more likely to capture people's attention. Incorporating numbers in the headline can make it more informative and appealing to readers.

• Headlines that use strong verbs get 38% more clicks than headlines that don't use strong verbs. Incorporating dynamic verbs into your headlines can evoke a sense of immediacy and enthusiasm, ultimately boosting click-through rates. These potent verbs can also enhance the persuasiveness and impact of your headlines.

• Headlines that use negative words get 20% fewer clicks than headlines that don't use negative words. Headlines that exude positivity and optimism tend to capture people's attention more than headlines that use negative language. Negative words can make headlines appear less attractive and deter readers from clicking through.

• Headlines that are relevant to the search query get 35% more clicks than headlines that are not relevant. Relevance is vital for headline clicks. Internet users tend to gravitate toward headlines that align with their search queries, increasing the likelihood they will click and engage with the content.

What Is the Purpose of Subheadings?

A subheading intends to

• grab the readers' attention so they will stop to read before continuing to scan until the next subhead, which they will then read and evaluate similarly;

• guide the reader down the page as they scan from one subhead to the next, and

• be so interesting that the scanner stops and reads that entire section.

Content marketers and writers often miss the opportunity subheads offer by not carefully crafting them to serve the purposes outlined above.

Common mistakes make subheads ineffective.

What Are Common Mistakes When Writing Subheadings?

1. Using the subhead as a simple label.

Labels simply identify; they do not create interest.

 2. The subhead as a spoiler, giving away the point of the following content

Why would readers continue reading your content if they already know the point you want to make?

3. Trying too hard to be creative.

Here, you end up creating something more confusing than compelling. The ensuing confusion quickly leads to a bounce.

What Makes a Good Subheading?

While the scanner is evaluating whether or not to invest the time to read your article, the subheads should serve to summarize your article. They provide a quick, easy guide to the content. A scanning reader should be able to grasp the gist of your article just by reading the heading and subheadings alone.

Just as you do when you write a good blog headline, you want to write subheadings that show a benefit. Use subheadings that are helpful, entice readers to take notice, and are unique. They are descriptive of what your subject matter is.

Don't forget to ensure proper spelling and know which words to capitalize.

What Are the Best Practices for Writing Subheadings?

• While describing your content, the shorter the subhead, the better.

• The headline is the premise, and the subheadings are the tips.

• The first subhead should be the most intriguing.

• Break the article into readable, sequential sections using subheadings.

• Provide a rhythm and consistency that helps the reader move down the page from one subhead to the next.

When composing your subheadings, consider the following:

• Fun is good; puns are cheesy. This is not the best place to be too clever. For each paragraph, ask yourself: what is it about, what's the most critical part of that paragraph, and what do you want the reader to take away from this paragraph?

• Don't be cryptic: Your readers want solutions from your text and don't have the time to solve a puzzle to find that information.

• Use parallel structure: Subheads that have consistent grammatical structure are eye-catching. Other ways to include parallel structure might include using verbs or a question format.

• Keep the length similar: Conventional wisdom says to keep compelling subheads to 70 characters or less. Every word has to be spot on to keep the subheading powerful enough to keep readers reading and make your point succinctly.

• Connect to the headline: Link each subheading back to the content's main heading.

• Continue moving forward: Each subheading carries a paragraph or section of text that delves deeper into the article and guides the reader farther along the path to understanding your topic.

Subheadings and SEO: Is There a Connection?

There has been, and continues to be, much discussion about whether H1 (headline) and H2 (subheading) tags impact SEO and SERP rankings. Google and other search engines specifically look at the header tags and their structure. Don't just put everything into <P>; just increase the font size or bold it. Header tags serve both formatting and structural purposes.

Google carefully examines user behavior to assess a website's quality, which is why it includes metrics such as bounce rate and time spent on a page. These data points indicate how helpful a page is, and, in turn, determine how highly it's ranked. How long a reader spends on a page depends on how easy it is to parse the content. And what helps a reader parse content are those H2 and H3 tags.

So it appears that effective use of headings and subheadings does impact search rankings, making them an essential part of any inbound marketing strategy, even if the performance improvement attributed to H2 and H3 tag use is just the result of improved user experience, which brings lower bounce rates and better engagement, which in turn brings better rankings.

• Websites that incorporate H2 and H3 tags experience an average increase of 15% in organic traffic.

  More on Content Marketing Scaling Multilingual Blogs Using the HubSpot Content Agent

• 43% of users skim through blog posts, making headings and subheadings essential for a positive user experience.

• Using H2 and H3 tags can significantly decrease bounce rates by up to 30%, indicating that they are a valuable tool for increasing user engagement.

Remember: one and only one H1 tag per page.

SEO Best Practices for Subheadings (and Headlines!)

To wrap up our discussion of subheadings, these are SEO best practices for subheadings (and headlines).

• Each page has a unique title that accurately and concisely describes its content. The main title (H1 Tag) should be between 60 and 70 characters so as not to get truncated in SERPs.

• Use hierarchy and structure: Organize your subheadings in a clear hierarchy. Use H2 for major sections, H3 for subsections, and so on. This helps search engines understand the content's structure and improves user readability.

• Incorporate relevant keywords: Include relevant keywords in your subheadings to signal to search engines what the section is about. However, prioritize readability and natural language usage over keyword stuffing. Aim to provide value and clarity to your readers.

• Keep subheadings descriptive: Make sure they accurately describe the content beneath them. This helps search engines and readers understand the context and relevance of each section. Clear and descriptive subheadings can also entice users to stay on your page and explore further.

• Use Formatting Tags: Use proper HTML title and heading tags (e.g., H1, H2, H3) instead of manually styling subheadings. Search engines rely on these tags to identify and interpret the structure of your content. Consistent and appropriate usage of formatting tags is essential for SEO.

• Optimize for Featured Snippets: Craft subheadings that can appear as featured snippets in search engine results. Consider phrasing them as questions or providing concise answers to common queries. By addressing user intent and providing valuable information upfront, you increase your chances of being featured in a featured snippet, which can improve your visibility and click-through rates.

While optimizing your subheadings is essential for SEO, it's equally crucial to create high-quality, engaging content that meets your target audience's needs.

Ready to learn more about making the most of blogging for inbound marketing? Check out our free ebook!