Content Matters Labs

H1, page title, and SEO title — what’s the difference?

In your Complete Deployment Packet, the SECTION 2: METADATA block of each article’s 1_README.pdf includes an H1 and sometimes a separate SEO title. They’re related but not identical.

What each one is:

  • H1 (Headline 1): The big headline at the top of the article that readers actually see on the page. There should be exactly one H1 per article. Your packet provides this — paste it as-is.
  • Page title / SEO title / title tag: The text that shows up in the browser tab and as the clickable blue link in Google search results. Often the same as the H1, but can be shorter or differently-worded for click-through rate.

Why they sometimes differ:

  • H1 reads well on the page in long-form prose.
  • SEO title needs to fit in roughly 60 characters before Google truncates it with an ellipsis.
  • If your H1 is longer than 60 characters, your CMS may auto-shorten it for the title tag — your packet may include a separate, shorter SEO title to use instead.

Where to set the page title by CMS:

  • WordPress (Yoast or Rank Math): scroll below the editor → SEO settings → SEO Title field.
  • Squarespace: Settings → SEO → Page title.
  • Webflow: Page settings → SEO Title Tag.
  • Wix: Page → SEO basics → Title.
  • HubSpot: post Settings → Title (and separate Page title for SEO).

— From Content Matters Labs —Your reader is a plant operator, a specifier, a decision-maker. They can smell a copy-paste blog from three feet away. Writing that meets them where they are takes time you don’t have — so we do it, and you sign your name to it.

Common H1 / SEO title issues:

  • H1 shows up twice on the page — some themes render the post title as an H1 automatically. If you also pasted the H1 in the article body, you’ll get two. Delete the manual one from the body.
  • SEO title truncated in Google search — Google cuts off around 60 characters with an ellipsis. If your packet includes a separate, shorter SEO title, use that. Otherwise rewrite.
  • Yoast or Rank Math isn’t showing my SEO title — clear your browser cache. If it’s still hidden, check that the plugin is enabled for your post type.
  • Not sure whether to change the packet’s H1 — the packet H1 is written for SEO and readability. Only change it if your industry vocabulary demands it.

Still stuck? Email us at contact@contentmatterslabs.com with your CMS and a screenshot. We’ll email you back within one business day with the answer.