How to Write Appropriate Heading

Headings help break up lengthy text passages into smaller, more manageable chunks. This helps readers make sense of a document or article, maintain a clear and consistent structure, and form a mental image.

Headings are second-generation headlines, words, or phrases that introduce portions of a piece of information. They aid in organizing the content of the article by the writer.

This page explains the purpose of headings, types of headings, and their functions. Let’s dive in!

The Need for an Appropriate Heading

Headings serve three purposes in the text. Use headings when you have subsections to define and identify.

In addition, Headings should always make finding elements on the page and related information easy. A heading should also separate related information, even using size and color. They create significant divisions, provide directions and guidance, and support logical flow and parallelism.

1. Question Headings

As you might expect, a question heading is a heading in the interrogative case. A question like “How Does AI Make Your Lives Easier?” draws a reader’s attention. This is because the heading implies that the text that follows the heading will answer that question.

Question headers are useful in informational content like an instructional procedure, a troubleshooting guide, or a website’s FAQ (frequently asked questions) page.

However, they can be used to organize more qualitative material to broaden readers’ knowledge. Examples include headings about the differences between various political systems, religions, or philosophies.

2. Statement Heading

Statement headers are composed of nouns and verbs that constitute a complete notion. The model for this type is newspaper headlines: “AI Makes Your Life Easier” is an example of a statement header.

Statement headings are ideal for basic material when question heads aren’t acceptable or wanted. They state a truth or an opinion and indicate that the following information will provide specifics to support or refute it.

3. Topic Heading

A topic heading is made up of a single word or a brief phrase that acts as a name for the content that follows:

Example: AI, AI Benefits, and How to Use AI to Make Your Life Easier

Topic headings can be used to introduce functional content, but they are best suited for leisure reading – stuff meant to entertain rather than enlighten.

Topic headings can be the most difficult to write because they do not always contain much information. For example, the first two examples above aren’t particular; only the third one corresponds to the sample question and statement heads for utility.

Topic headings do allow for additional creativity, such as wordplay and alliteration.

For example:

“Workout AI” and “AI and Gadgets” may require more information. Information such as an image or a transitional line after the preceding section will be necessary for it to be useful.

Also, remember that the more conceptual a topic heading is, the less likely it is to support an internet search. This is because it contains fewer keywords than a similar heading organized in the other heading forms.

To Wrap Up

Appropriate heading styles depend on what the reader will be reading. Those who read for information may opt for the “statement heading,” whereas those who read for enjoyment might go for the “topic heading.”