2.2 Heading structureMediumInferred
Empty heading tags
An empty heading tag adds structure with no meaning and can confuse screen readers and parsers. Headings should always contain real text.
What it is
Headings with no text.
Why it matters
Wasted structural elements; accessibility noise.
How to fix it
Remove or populate.
How to find it on your site
- Crawl for heading tags with no text content.
- Find where empty headings are generated, often spacing hacks.
- Remove them or fill them with meaningful text.
- Re-validate the outline.
Cross-reference to ranking and citation factors
Empty headings clutter the document outline without helping relevance or accessibility.
Impact
Low-medium. Inferred.
Evidence
Meaningful headings aid structure/a11y. W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2; Google Search Central, SEO Starter Guide
Sources