Your H1 title is one of the clearest signals you give Google about what a page is about. It tells search engines, and users, the primary topic of that page.
But when that signal becomes confused, rankings often suffer.
A H1 should act like the headline of a newspaper article – meaning one page, one main message. When a page contains multiple H1 tags, Google has to guess which one matters most. This uncertainty weakens the relevance of the page and makes it harder for search engines to understand how it should rank.
Multiple H1s are commonly introduced through poor theme structure, page builders or plugins that automatically add headings without oversight. While Google is smart enough to crawl pages with multiple H1s, that does not mean it rewards them, as clarity is always preferred over interpretation.
From a technical search engine optimisation (SEO) perspective, multiple H1s dilute keyword focus. Instead of reinforcing a single primary topic, you split authority across competing headings, which can lead to lower visibility for the terms you actually want to rank for.
There is also a user experience issue. Screen readers and accessibility tools rely on proper heading hierarchy. When H1s are misused, navigation becomes harder for users who depend on assistive technology. Google increasingly factors accessibility into quality signals, so structural mistakes can have wider consequences than rankings alone.
Strong SEO is rarely about tricks; it is about doing the fundamentals properly and consistently. In this case, we mean a clear structure and deliberate intent.
If you want a website that is built with effective SEO at its core, speak to Engage Web. We build sites that are designed to perform, rank and grow with your business.
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