This factor counts how many H6 headings on a page consist entirely of your search query — the whole heading, nothing added. It returns a whole number, and it is an observed relationship with position within a result set, not a lever that makes a page rank.
| Factor ID | RG-HDG-016 |
|---|---|
| Family | Headings |
| Measurement | Whole-heading match count |
| Measured zone | H6 text |
What it measures
RankGear counts the H6 headings whose entire text matches the search query. A heading only qualifies when the query is the complete heading — not merely contained inside a longer phrase. The output is the number of such whole-heading matches found in the page’s H6 zone.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear parses every H6 on the page, converts the spaces in the query into optional single-character separators, anchors the resulting case-insensitive expression at both the start and the end of the heading, and totals the headings that match end to end. Because the match is anchored at both ends, any heading text beyond the query fails to count.
What RankGear looks for
Query: best running shoes
<h6>best running shoes</h6> → counts (whole heading = query)
<h6>Best Running Shoes</h6> → counts (case-insensitive)
<h6>best-running-shoes</h6> → counts (punctuation fills the separators)
<h6>best running shoes for kids</h6> → does not count (extra text)How to optimize it
Treat this as an observation, not a target. Use an exact-query H6 only when the page genuinely needs that level of subdivision and the phrase clearly labels the section it sits above. If the outline does not call for a sixth heading level, do not add one to move this count — the number is a description of the page, not a goal to chase.
Important considerations
- Additional heading text prevents a whole-heading match — the query must be the entire H6.
- Punctuation can satisfy the optional separator positions, so hyphenated or lightly punctuated variants may still count.
- Regex-significant characters in the query retain their compatibility behavior in the match expression.
- Do not create an artificial six-level outline for this metric; a forced H6 rarely helps readers.
- Correlation is not causation: this count relates to position within a measured result set and is a prioritization signal, not a guarantee that a page will rank.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.