Table of Contents
Hello to every hungry-for-knowledge LocalTeam Australia blog reader! If you landed on this page, then you must be interested in learning new things associated with website practices. We are here to provide you with the best approaches you can implement in your site management strategy.
The previous post of this series pointed out the importance of breadcrumb trails. Additionally, it highlighted some of the not-so-apparent techniques concerning the header section of the websites. This article aims to dive even deeper and inform you about the significance of the table of contents and aspects related to the heading tags. So, let’s start without any further ado!
The Usage of ToC as One of Website Practices
What comes next below the header and breadcrumbs when we keep moving from the top of a well-optimised webpage? That’s a table of contents, also known as ToC. Let’s think of it as an outline of your page content.
Depending on the functionalities of the content management system you use, you can do it either directly through the code, by using plugins, or with a simple drag-and-drop technique. In any case, a specific id will be assigned to every heading that you want to be included in the ToC, which will be displayed in the address bar after the # symbol.
While you might think that the addition of tables of contents will play an important role only for the webpages of the informational type, it is not true. The usage of ToC is not limited to blogs and articles and can be added even to the catalogues of your products. However, there are certain nuances you should be aware of. Keep scrolling to understand what we mean.
ToC on Informational Pages
What are informational pages? The following is what an average user will think about:
- Landings;
- Blogs;
- Articles.
Such pages really provide users with much information via text, and it’s straightforward how tables of context can be used on them. Simply put, if there is a page on your website that mainly consists of text paragraphs divided by headings, then gathering all those headings just below the page title is what you should do.
This element can improve the navigation of users around the text content. Let’s say that you have a blog post about the best board games of 2024. There will be users who want to read the whole article to find something new to play and those who are interested in the specifications of a particular title. Then, if you have an interactive table of contents, such readers will be able to click on the game they want to get information about and land on the exact paragraph where this info is given. Having this technique in the arsenal of the website practices you implement on your partal will reduce the bounce rate and improve the user experience. Isn’t it something you really want as a site owner?
ToC on Other Types of Pages
So, if it is understandable with the informational pages, the whole idea of using ToC on, let’s say, catalogue or portfolio pages might be perceived sceptically. However, even if you have catalogue pages where hundreds of board games are featured, you can still take advantage of ToC.
While you might think that your clients do not need any text on such pages because they only want to select a desired item, you should remember that search engine bots will index your webpages based on the text content. In this situation, you can add an SEO text section with the ToC feature. This website element is typically added just above the footer at the bottom of the page. Moreover, this text box can be made collapsable so that it doesn’t interfere with users’ actions. This means that only curious site visitors can click on this section to read the text about your shop assortment and others will just peacefully browse through the items you offer.
Google bot and spiders from other search engines will crawl this text and add the page to the index. The availability of a clickable table of contents will be considered as a plus. It can result in a higher ranking position since bots prioritise sites with a user-friendly design.
As you see, this element can be beneficial not only for users but also for search engine optimisation.
Correct Usage of Headings as One of SEO Website Practices
For users, headings are titles that go before text paragraphs. However, for web developers, they are <h> tags used in their code. There are headings of six levels and they all follow a strict hierarchy. This implies that you cannot add <h5> right after <h1> just because you want it.
Headings are inseparably linked to text, meaning that paragraphs should follow every heading. That is why using <h> tags for slogans, clickable tabs, or any elements in the header/footer is incorrect. Just to make any element stand out, you can change its size, colour, or style without assigning the <h> tag to it.
You might ask why it even matters. And the answer is easy. Headings serve as elements that show search engine bots the structure of a webpage. In such a way, after locating the header “We Provide Top Board Games,” bots will expect to find a paragraph where these games are described and will consider it an arrow if this text section is missing. If your idea is just to attract users’ attention, then omit the <h> tag in this situation, but if you want to include it in the page structure, then make sure you provide a descriptive paragraph below.
Things to Know About Headings
Now you know that headings are structural elements that play an important role during the page crawling process. If you want to learn what website practices related to their usage you can include in your site strategy, feel free to read the points below:
- You must use only one <h1> on one page. The heading of the first level serves as a title for the whole webpage. That is why you cannot have multiple <h1> tags;
- You can use as many <h2> and <h3> tags on a webpage as it is necessary to fully disclose the topic. However, do not overuse them;
- You should assign <h> tags only to those sections that really matter for the webpage structure;
- You must remember that every <h2> gives more specific information about <h1>, every <h3> – about a particular <h2> and so on;
- You can theoretically use <h4> and headings of lower levels if it’s necessary to break down your text even more. However, search engine bots do not consider this information as important as paragraphs under <h1> – <h3>. That is why if you can use a list under the <h3> instead of adding <h4> tags, go for it;
- You should use keywords in headings to make sure the page is optimised for specific users’ searches;
- You must finish your page structure with <h2>. This last heading should serve either as a call to action or as a conclusion to everything described before.
As mentioned previously, if your webpage is not of an informational nature, think of including SEO text with all the necessary headings at the bottom of the page for bots to crawl and index it.
Boost Your Site – Use Effective Website Practices!
We’ve covered two more important points you should keep in mind when developing your website strategy. Even though ToC and headings are of paramount importance, they are not the only things to consider. We’ll keep informing you about other aspects, like FAQ sections and footers. Additionally, you can check the previous blog of this series if you haven’t read it yet.
If you are interested in the implementation of any of the described website practices on your site, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. Our professionals can improve your existing site or build a new one. Moreover, our competencies do not stop here. We can provide a range of other solutions your business might need. By and large, give LocalTeam a call or send an email. It’s a joy for us to consult you or to help your company grow by providing top-notch services!
