As every health writer knows, applying an effective structure is one of the core rules of plain English writing– and a logical, readable structure depends on effective subheadings.

Subheadings support readability, literacy and comprehension because they:

• Create a smooth flow
• Keep readers engaged and reading
• Break up long paragraphs
• Highlight important sections
• Make your content look beautiful at a glance
• Provide a scannable overview of the content’s key topics.

According to bestselling author and content marketer Neil Patel, subheadings are “just as important” as headlines. So are you giving your subheadings the attention they deserve?

Effective subheading writing involves more than inserting a new subheading every second or third paragraph, though. There are specific techniques involved in writing subheadings that shine.

Here are some readability best practices to help you assess your writing and write effective subheadings for your health content.

Use specific, explanatory subheadings

Subheadings are most useful when they are:

• Specific
• Explanatory
• Descriptive
• Consistent
• Scannable.

Think of your subheadings as a roadmap, outline or guide to your content.

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Use questions for more effective subheadings

Questions make great subheadings in health content because readers are often searching for answers to their health concerns. If you’re writing patient education material, chances are your readers have a specific question in their minds.

Perhaps they are reading about coronary artery disease and only want to know the possible treatments. They’ll be scanning the content looking for the answer to that question. Their eyes will be drawn to a stand-out section on treatments.

A clear subheading that reads: “What are the treatments for coronary artery disease?” will catch your readers’ attention and be more effective than a subheading that reads: “Treatments.”

Here’s an example of generic vs specific subheadings.

Use the right font size

Your main subheadings should be smaller than your main heading but larger than the body copy.

Like your main heading, subheadings convey importance. The subheading’s font size needs to indicate the level of importance.

When you’re writing subheadings, check that the space underneath the subheading is consistent and clear, too.

If you have layers of subheadings (eg a group of H3 subheadings beneath an H2 subheading), drop the font size accordingly. Make sure every subheading of the same level is the same size.

Here’s an example of how you might format different headlines in a paragraph within a patient handout about skin cancer. The H2 headline is the main subheading, and the H3 headline is a section underneath the H2 heading.

Pay attention to formatting and details

In addition to making sure that the font size of your subheadings is consistent, these formatting tips will make your subheadings clearer and more engaging:

• Avoid colons or brackets – extra punctuation can make the subheading more difficult to scan
• Add a leading sentence before writing a bullet point list – don’t include bullet lists directly after subheadings, as this can confuse readers
• Don’t change the font of the subheadings – keep your fonts consistent, unless the brand guidelines specify otherwise
• Use numbers consistently – some documents insert automatic spacing when using numbers, so always check for consistency
• Maintain enough white space between subheadings and paragraphs – white space supports readability and literacy
• Keep each paragraph length to subheading ratio consistent – avoid following an extremely long paragraph with a short one unless necessary.

Adapt your subheadings for the style of content you’re writing

Different styles of content require different strategies for subheadings. Your approach to subheadings will depend on what you’re writing and the intended audience. For example:

• Blogs and articles – use descriptive or actionable subheadings
• Patient education materials – use subheadings that support the patient journey, from diagnosis to treatment
• Educational content and how-to guides – use subheadings that summarise the key learning or take-home message
• News – check with your client or editor, as traditional news doesn’t always contain subheadings.

Conduct a specific subheading edit

Reviewing your subheadings should be a key part of your medical editing process. As you assess your subheadings’ effectiveness, consider these questions:

• What is this subheading’s section about?
• What is the most important part of this section?
• What do I want the reader to take from this section?
• Is the subheading related to the title?
• Are all my subheadings a similar length?
• Is there one key point in each subheading?

By focusing more time and effort on your subheadings during the writing process, you can write more effective health content. That means your work will be easy to scan, read, understand and remember, supporting health literacy and enhanced health outcomes. And that’s a win for both you and your readers!