Question H2s on top-5 ranking pages by vertical
| Vertical | Pages with H2s | Pages with a question H2 | H2s that are questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel | 448 | 23.4% | 7.8% |
| Auto parts | 510 | 38.8% | 16.0% |
| Baby | 653 | 38.7% | 14.2% |
| Beauty | 619 | 45.1% | 16.1% |
| Dental and medical | 740 | 48.5% | 20.4% |
| DIY | 473 | 42.1% | 13.6% |
| Education | 693 | 30.2% | 12.9% |
| Electronics | 579 | 36.1% | 29.5% |
| Finance | 667 | 55.2% | 23.2% |
| Fitness | 672 | 54.6% | 17.1% |
| Gaming | 663 | 35.9% | 10.3% |
| Gardening | 519 | 33.5% | 10.9% |
| Health | 921 | 55.4% | 27.4% |
| Home | 531 | 41.4% | 13.3% |
| Home services | 667 | 51.9% | 20.1% |
| Insurance | 682 | 57.2% | 27.5% |
| Jewelry | 646 | 23.2% | 5.4% |
| Kitchen | 534 | 45.9% | 16.1% |
| Legal | 863 | 52.8% | 24.3% |
| Marketing | 651 | 45.9% | 17.8% |
| Outdoor | 497 | 29.4% | 7.7% |
| Parenting | 395 | 52.9% | 26.0% |
| Pets | 610 | 38.2% | 13.9% |
| Real estate | 538 | 55.8% | 18.0% |
| Recipes | 675 | 53.8% | 14.5% |
| Restaurants | 433 | 20.8% | 5.6% |
| SaaS comparisons | 846 | 14.3% | 3.6% |
| Software | 994 | 56.8% | 19.9% |
| Supplements | 819 | 56.9% | 21.4% |
| Travel | 604 | 31.0% | 9.2% |
Source: PageSpeed Matters, Oct 2026. Question H2s end in a question mark or start with a question word.
Summary
Writing subheadings as questions is a popular content tactic: phrase an H2 the way people search, answer it right below, and the section is easier to scan and easier for search engines to match to a query. We checked how common the habit is on pages that already rank.
It is common, but far from universal. 43.1% of 19,142 top-5 ranking pages with H2s use at least one question heading, and 16.3% of all their H2s are questions. Usage depends heavily on the vertical, on how many H2s a page has, and on whether the search itself is a question.
What we measured
We looked at 49,855 top-5 ranking pages for 10,019 US keywords in October 2026, of which 29,776 were readable, and read their H2 headings. 19,142 pages had at least one H2, and those pages form the base for this study.
An H2 counts as a question when it ends in a question mark or starts with a question word such as how, what, why or when. That rule catches some statement headings too, such as "How we tested", so the counts run a little high. Only parsed H2 headings were counted; H3s and other levels were not.
Question H2s are common on top pages
43.1% of the 19,142 top-5 ranking pages with at least one H2 use a question heading. Across all of their H2s, 16.3% are questions, so a page that uses the format typically mixes a few question headings in with statement headings rather than writing every H2 as a question.
That likely reflects how most content is built: a page covers a topic in statement sections, then answers a few specific questions.
43.1%
Share of 19,142 top-5 ranking pages with at least one H2 that use a question heading.
The #1 result uses question H2s least
Question H2s are least common at the top of the results and most common lower down: 39.1% of pages at #1 use one, against 43.1% at #2, 42.8% at #3, 45.1% at #4 and 45.9% at #5.
The #1 result uses them least. That does not mean question headings hurt rankings. A likely reason is the type of page that ranks first: brand, product and official pages often hold the top spot, and they are less likely to be written as question-and-answer articles.
Verticals split sharply on question headings
Insurance (57.2%), supplements (56.9%), software (56.8%) and health (55.4%) pages use question H2s most. These are verticals where readers arrive with specific questions about cost, safety, coverage or how something works, and ranking pages likely answer them section by section.
SaaS comparison (14.3%), restaurants (20.8%), jewelry (23.2%) and apparel (23.4%) pages rarely do. Comparison pages likely use feature and pricing headings, while restaurant and shopping pages are built around menus, products and categories instead of questions.
The share of H2s that are questions mostly follows the same split, reaching 27.5% in insurance and 27.4% in health and falling to 3.6% in SaaS comparisons. Electronics is the exception: only 36.1% of its pages use a question H2, yet 29.5% of all electronics H2s are questions, the highest share of any vertical. Where electronics pages use the format, they use it heavily.
Longer pages and question keywords use more question H2s
The more H2s a page has, the more likely one of them is a question. Pages with 6 to 10 H2s use at least one question heading 61.7% of the time, across 5,386 pages, against 16.8% of pages with only one or two H2s, across 4,829 pages. Longer articles have more room for a section that answers a specific question.
The search itself matters too. When the keyword is a question, 63.3% of ranking pages with H2s include a question H2, across 472 pages, against 42.6% for other keywords, across 18,670 pages. Pages that rank for a question tend to have a heading that asks it.
What this means for your site
Use question H2s where readers actually have questions. If your keyword is a question, or your page covers a topic people ask about, a heading that matches the question and an answer in the first sentence below it make the section easy to scan.
Do not turn every heading into a question. Most H2s on top pages are statements, and on product, category, comparison and local pages question headings are rare. Write headings that describe each section clearly, and add question headings for the specific questions your readers ask most.
Sources
- PageSpeed Matters analysis of Google top-5 results for 10,019 US keywords, October 2026
- MDN Web Docs, the HTML section heading elements: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/Heading_Elements
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<p style="font:14px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif">Source: <a href="https://www.pagespeedmatters.com/resources/data-studies/h2s-written-as-questions">H2s Written as Questions: 43.1% of Top 5 Results - PageSpeed Matters</a></p>
Frequently asked questions
Should H2s be written as questions?
Some of them, where readers have real questions. 43.1% of top-5 ranking pages with H2s use at least one question heading, but only 16.3% of all their H2s are questions.
How common are question headings on top-ranking pages?
43.1% of 19,142 top-5 ranking pages with H2s use at least one question H2. The share rises to 63.3% when the keyword itself is a question.
Do question H2s help pages rank?
Our data does not show that. The #1 result uses question H2s least, at 39.1% of pages, against 45.9% at #5.
Headings that match how people actually search make a page easier to scan, and they are simple to revise on existing content. Need help with this? See our on-page SEO services.