When someone lands on your page, they don't read everything straight away. Research shows that visitors usually scan the page first, looking for what's relevant. That scan runs along the headings. H2s (subheadings) are what make your page scannable instead of an intimidating wall of text.
Why at least 4 subheadings?
For competitive keywords, Google expects you to cover a topic completely. A long page without subheadings reads as unprofessional and is hard to scan. With at least 4 good H2s, you show that this topic is worked out in several chapters.
A concrete guideline:
- 0-1 H2s: Google and readers see a wall of text. Bad.
- 2-3 H2s: the bare minimum, only enough for short pages.
- 4-8 H2s: good. Every section has a clear heading.
- 10+ H2s: only for extremely long guides (2,500+ words).
What makes a good H2?
- It describes the section below it: no clickbait, just an honest summary of what's there
- It includes variations on your main keyword: where it feels natural
- It's scannable: short, punchy, no long sentences
- It invites people to keep reading: questions or a concrete promise work well
Examples of good H2s
For a 'link building' service page:
- "What exactly is link building?"
- "Why is link building important for your business?"
- "Our approach: quality over quantity"
- "What does link building cost?"
- "Frequently asked questions"
The difference between H2, H3 and H4?
H2s are main sections. H3s are subsections WITHIN an H2. H4s are sub-subsections. For example:
- H2: "Our approach"
- H3: "Phase 1: research"
- H3: "Phase 2: execution"
- H3: "Phase 3: measuring"
Use them in the right order (H2 → H3 → H4, never H2 → H4 without an H3 in between).
You'll find more about structuring your content in our on-page SEO checklist.