Exact Matches in H6 Tags counts how many times your exact target-query pattern appears in a page’s H6 headings. It returns a plain occurrence count — and on its own it means very little, because H6 exact matching is rarely necessary and the number reflects presence, not usefulness.
| Factor ID | RG-HDG-007 |
|---|---|
| Family | Headings |
| Measurement | Occurrence count |
| Measured zone | H6 text |
What it measures
This factor counts exact-query pattern occurrences in H6 headings. It scans the text inside every sixth-level heading on the page and tallies how many times the target query appears as an exact match. The result is a single count for the H6 zone, kept separate from matches found in higher-level headings.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear applies the case-insensitive exact-query pattern to each H6, with spaces represented by optional single characters. Casing is ignored, so the query matches regardless of how the heading is capitalized, and the space-as-optional-single-character rule lets minor separators between words still register as an exact match. Each qualifying occurrence across all H6 headings adds to the count.
What RankGear looks for
<h6>Any wording, then your exact query, then more wording</h6>
Match rule: case-insensitive; each space in the query may be a single separator character.
Example: query "blue widgets" matches <h6>Blue Widgets</h6> and <h6>Blue-widgets sizing</h6>.| Count | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | The exact query does not appear in any H6 heading. |
| 1 or more | The exact query appears that many times across the page’s H6 headings. |
How to optimize it
Only use the phrase when a genuine sixth-level subsection benefits from it. Treat this count as an observation, not a target: H6 is the deepest heading level, so most pages never reach it, and forcing the query into an H6 to raise the number adds noise rather than value. If a real sixth-level subsection naturally reads better with the query in its heading, use it there — otherwise leave the count at zero.
Important considerations
- H6 exact matching is rarely necessary — most well-structured pages never use H6 at all.
- Additional heading words are allowed; the query does not have to be the entire H6 text.
- The count measures presence, not usefulness — a match says nothing about whether the heading helps the reader.
- Do not create artificial hierarchy just to place the query in an H6.
- This is a correlation-based prioritization signal within a measured result set, not a cause of ranking — a higher count does not make a page rank.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.