H1 Tag: What W3C says about it

Quite nice to hear it from the authority

[martinibuster]

<h1> is the HTML tag for the first-level heading of a document.

The title is generally duplicated in an <h1> element towards the top of the page. Unlike the title, this element can include links, emphasis and other HTML phrase elements.

Often, webmasters will use an <h2> element instead, to make the heading smaller. This is incorrect, Cascading Style Sheets should be used to create this effect

The CSS part has been a topic of discussion here for a long time. This is as authoritative an opinion as you can get on it.

It's a "tip of the day" that I found here [w3.org].

[pageoneresults]

Man, I really wish they wouldn't publish that stuff! ;)

I've been designing this way for years. There is a lot to be learned from the W3C and I've been spending at least an hour a week reading. Not to mention all the 5 and 10 minute visits throughout the week.

[SuzyUK]

Thanks for reference...

Somewhere back in the deep distant past I learnt that a document should be produced by using the <h#> tags in their logical order, I think it was because that is what a "searchbot" expects to see (though I'm no expert!)

i.e.
<h1> for your main heading, and probably only used once in a document, as you would generally only have one main title per page

<h2> for topic headings/categories
then
<h3> for your category subheadings

in fact I think it said there was probably very little use for the others (h4, 5 & 6)!

I don't know where I learned this (it was a while back ;))

So it's nice to see your post as it's a reminder that it's easy to resort to bad habits along the way (it's a bit like driving really)..it's OK if it works and you don't have to sit your test again, but in these days of HTML optimisation for SE's it's a point to note

Suzy

[shanz]

I also learned that at Uni..

[Gusgsm]

Good afternoon, folks.

Bear me a question, please. I agree 100% with what you say but... Let's say you have a set of pages about one issue (Psychology) and then each page is devoted to one subject (The mind, The brain, Behaviour...).

How would you do that (in each page):

Option 1:

<h1>Psychology</h1>
<h2>The Mind</h2>
....
Then the other pages "reversed":

<h2>Psychology ₍₂₎</h2>
<h1>The Brain</h1>

Option 2:

<h1>Psychology</h1>
<h2>The Mind</h2>
...
Then the other pages "the same way"

<h1>Psychology</h1>
<h2>The Brain</h2>

Thanks in advance

[moonbiter]

I'd choose option 2. Or I'd do:

Page 1 <h1>Psychology: The Mind</h1>
[... rest of page here ...]

Page 2 <h1>Psychology: The Brain</h1>
[... rest of page here ...]

and so on.