RG-HDG-043 counts the H1 headings on a page whose entire text is exactly one of the run’s keyword variations — nothing more, nothing less. Any extra word beyond the variation breaks the match, and a higher count relates to position within a measured result set rather than causing a page to rank.
| Factor ID | RG-HDG-043 |
|---|---|
| Family | Headings |
| Measurement | Whole-heading variation match count |
| Measured zone | H1 text |
What it measures
This factor counts the H1 headings whose entire text equals one of the run’s keyword variations. It is a whole-heading test: the H1 must be a variation in full, not merely contain one. An H1 that carries the variation plus any additional wording is not counted.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear builds a single case-insensitive regular expression from the alphabetically sorted variation set, anchors it at both the start and the end, and applies it to the parsed H1 text. Because the expression is anchored on both sides, only an H1 that is a complete variation — with no leading or trailing text — produces a match.
What RankGear looks for
/^(best running shoes|running shoes for men|trail running shoes)$/i| If the H1 is… | What RankGear records |
|---|---|
| Exactly a variation, e.g. Trail Running Shoes | Counts toward the factor |
| A variation plus extra words, e.g. The Best Trail Running Shoes of 2026 | Does not count — extra text prevents the match |
| Unrelated to any variation | Does not count |
How to optimize it
Use a variation as the complete H1 when that concise wording clearly communicates the page’s primary topic and intent. Treat this as an observation about how tightly your H1 aligns with a target variation, not a quota to hit — exact brevity is only worth pursuing when the shorter heading still reads clearly for a human. If the fuller, more descriptive H1 serves the reader better, keep it.
Important considerations
- Any additional H1 text — even a single extra word — prevents a match, because the pattern is anchored at both ends.
- Variation alternatives are inserted into the compatibility regex without escaping, so variations containing regex metacharacters may behave unexpectedly.
- The factor does not judge whether the H1 is compelling or specific — only whether it exactly equals a variation.
- Exact brevity should not come at the expense of clarity for the reader.
- This is a correlational prioritization signal. A higher count tracks with position inside a measured result set; it does not make a page rank or guarantee any position.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.