Variations in H1, H2, and H3 Tags counts how many times a keyword’s variations appear across your top three heading levels. It returns one occurrence count spanning H1, H2, and H3 combined — a coverage signal for how well your outline touches the topic, not a target to inflate.
| Factor ID | RG-HDG-035 |
|---|---|
| Family | Headings |
| Measurement | Variation occurrence count |
| Measured zone | H1, H2, and H3 text |
What it measures
This factor counts keyword-variation occurrences across the first three heading levels. Rather than looking at any single heading, it totals every time a term from the run’s variation set shows up in your H1, H2, and H3 text, giving one number that reflects how broadly the outline covers related phrasings of the topic.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear parses the H1–H3 text and applies case-insensitive, whole-word matching for the run’s variation set. Terms are processed longest-first, and matched text is consumed before shorter terms are tested — so a longer phrase claims its span before a shorter term inside it gets a chance to match, which prevents the same words from being counted under two overlapping variations.
How to optimize it
Distribute useful variations across your primary and supporting headings so the outline covers meaningful subtopics without repetition. Treat the number as an observation of coverage, not a quota to hit: the aim is headings that each earn their place by addressing a distinct part of the topic, with natural variation following from that — not the same phrase restated to lift a count.
| If the count is… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Low relative to the competitor range | Look for subtopics your H2s and H3s could genuinely cover, and let a natural variation appear in each. |
| Within the competitor range | Read it as confirmation the outline covers the topic; no change needed. |
| High and repetitive | Check that variations reflect distinct subtopics rather than one phrase repeated across headings. |
Important considerations
- All three levels contribute to one total — H1, H2, and H3 are counted together, not scored separately.
- Multiple occurrences in a single heading can count.
- Consuming matched text prevents overlapping terms from being counted twice.
- The competitor range is context, not a keyword-stuffing target.
- This is a measured correlation within a result set, not a guarantee: a higher count relates to how thoroughly ranking pages cover the topic in their headings — it does not, on its own, make a page rank.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.