caveman - 11:34 pm on Aug 23, 2005 (gmt 0)

Certain uses of H1 can get a page in trouble, so let's be careful not to imply otherwise to those who have not had the time or ability to see what can happen.

An important distinction is made between using H1, and misusing H1 in a way that causes a page to run afoul of SE guidelines.

It seems that most everyone agrees that the mere existence of H1 in no way violates SE guidelines.

But how H1's are used is a different matter.

Using a single H1 per page, with a brief summary of the page's contents, is actually what W3 would have us doing most of the time with H1 elements [w3.org].

Using multiple H1's on a page however, or using a precisely identical kw phrase for H1, title, META, lead text and alt tags - in order to push the envelop a bit for SE rankings - can, and very often will, get a page in trouble with an SE. This sort of onpage activity is easily identified by the SE's, and on any given day, G may interpret such activity as manipulation in order to gain undue advantage.

Fair, or not fair, unfortunately does not much come into it.