This factor counts how many times your target query appears across every heading on the page, from H1 down to H6. It is a raw occurrence count, not a quality score — more matches is not automatically better, and the number relates to position within a measured result set rather than causing a page to rank.
| Factor ID | RG-HDG-002 |
|---|---|
| Family | Headings |
| Measurement | Occurrence count |
| Measured zone | H1 through H6 text |
What it measures
RankGear counts exact-query pattern occurrences across all recognized headings on the page. Every element from H1 to H6 is treated as one pool of heading text, and each place the query pattern is found adds to the tally. A heading does not need to consist solely of the query to register a match — the query can sit inside a longer heading and still count.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear takes your target query and replaces each space in it with an optional single character, then builds a case-insensitive, unescaped pattern from the result. It runs that pattern against the text of every H1 through H6 element and counts the matches. Because the pattern is case-insensitive, capitalization does not matter, and because each query space becomes an optional single character, small separators between the query words still count as a match.
What RankGear looks for
Query: content marketing
Pattern: content[ any single char, or nothing ]marketing (case-insensitive)
Counts as a match:
<h1>Content Marketing</h1>
<h2>Content-Marketing Basics</h2>
<h3>Our content marketing process</h3>| If the count is… | How to read it |
|---|---|
| 0 | The query pattern appears in no heading. Consider whether one section is genuinely about this topic and would be honestly labeled by the query. |
| 1 | The query labels a single heading — typically a clear, readable signal of what that section covers. |
| 2 or more | The query pattern is repeated across headings. Confirm each instance reads naturally; extra matches driven by repetition are not inherently better. |
How to optimize it
Use the exact query in a heading when it naturally and accurately labels a useful section of the page. Treat this as an observation about how your headings describe the content, not a target to inflate: adding heading matches only helps insofar as each heading still reads well and genuinely describes the section beneath it. If a heading would only carry the query for the sake of the count, leave it out.
Important considerations
- Punctuation can satisfy the optional-character pattern — a hyphen, slash, or other separator between the query words still counts as a match.
- Repetition raises the count: the same query pattern in several headings adds up.
- More matches are not automatically better; a high count does not cause or guarantee a ranking, it only relates to position within a measured result set.
- Preserve readable heading hierarchy — keep H1–H6 structured and meaningful rather than stuffing headings to lift the number.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.