Rewrite H2 Headings After Your AI Draft

AI drafts often ship with placeholder H2s: “Introduction,” “Benefits,” “Key Takeaways,” or keyword-stuffed clones of the title. Draft-Then-Headings means you rewrite H2/H3 labels after the body prose exists, so the skim path matches what the sections actually do.

Pair early with AI intro rewrite after draft and AI conclusion rewrite after draft. Body path: AI outline then draft. SERP chrome: AI blog title drafts.

Draft the sections → rename H2/H3 to honest jobs → then polish intro/close and title.

Disclosure: AI writing tools are third-party. No ranking or traffic guarantees.

Table of contents

1. Draft-Then-Headings
2. What a useful H2 must do
3. Rewrite checklist
4. Before / after patterns (no fake proof)
5. H3 rules that keep hierarchy sane
6. Lines and labels to cut
7. Handoff to intro, close, and title
8. FAQ
9. Ship a skim path that matches the draft

Draft-Then-Headings

        DRAFT-THEN-HEADINGS
  1. INTENT  → one sentence: who + job + outcome
  2. BODY    → sections drafted (outline-then-draft owner)
  3. LABEL   → rewrite each H2 to name the section’s job
  4. H3      → only where a real sub-job needs a break
  5. TOC     → confirm anchors still match useful labels
  6. CHROME  → intro / conclusion / title owners next

Writing headings first feels organized. With AI, those early labels often describe the outline you hoped for—not the paragraphs you got. Draft-Then-Headings flips the order: prose first, labels that tell the truth second.

You still need a rough outline before drafting. That outline is scaffolding. Published H2s are signage for humans who will not read every line.

What a useful H2 must do

A strong H2 answers: “If I only read headings, do I know what this page covers?” If the answer is no, rewrite before you polish sentences inside the section.

Rewrite checklist

Work top to bottom once:

1. List every H2 in a plain list (ignore body text for one pass).
2. Mark duplicates — two sections doing the same job → merge or rename to split the jobs clearly.
3. Mark empty promises — heading claims a checklist the body never gives → rename or add the checklist.
4. Prefer verbs or concrete nouns — “When to skip password protect” beats “Important considerations.”
5. Check keyword once — if the primary intent belongs in one H2, put it where the section truly owns that topic.
6. Read the TOC aloud — if it sounds like a generic template, rewrite until it sounds like this article.

Before / after patterns (no fake proof)

These are editorial patterns—not measured CTR lifts.

Specificity beats synonym spinning. “Key Insights 2.0” is still empty.

H3 rules that keep hierarchy sane

• Use H3 only when the H2 covers two distinct sub-jobs (e.g., “When to convert” vs “When to compress” under one decision H2—or keep them as separate H2s if both are large).
• Do not create H3s for every bullet; lists can live under one H2.
• Never skip levels (H2 → H4) for styling—use CSS, not fake hierarchy.
• If an H3 could stand alone as an H2 without orphaning siblings, promote it.

Lines and labels to cut

Cut or rewrite headings that:

• Repeat the H1 almost verbatim.
• Use “Ultimate,” “Complete,” or “Everything you need” without a scoped job.
• Stack colons with internal framework jargon as the only meaning (“Criteria First, Then the Link” style as a public H2 when a plain label works).
• Promise FAQs, tables, or downloads the body never includes.
• Exist only to hit a keyword density fantasy.

Handoff to intro, close, and title

Order that usually wastes the least rewriting:

1. Body draft exists.
2. Draft-Then-Headings pass (this page).
3. Intro rewrite so the hook matches real H2 jobs.
4. Conclusion rewrite so the close does not invent new sections.
5. Title drafts so SERP chrome matches the page—not the outline fantasy.

If you rewrite headings after the intro is locked, you often create a bait-and-switch between the first screen and the TOC.

FAQ

When should I rewrite AI H2 headings?

After the body sections exist and the intent sentence is stable—before you lock the intro and conclusion. Heading rewrite early enough to fix TOC and skim paths, late enough that you are not renaming empty outline stubs.

Is this Outline-Then-Draft?

No. Outline-then-draft owns the handoff into body prose. Draft-Then-Headings assumes paragraphs already exist and the labels need a human skim pass.

Is this the same as AI title drafts?

No. Title drafts own the SERP H1/title tag options. This URL owns in-article H2/H3 labels that guide scanners on the page.

Should every H2 include the primary keyword?

No. Stuffing the primary phrase into every heading reads robotic and hurts skim clarity. Use the keyword where a heading truly matches that section’s job.

How many H2s should a short post have?

Enough to mark real section jobs—often four to eight for a focused guide—not a heading every two paragraphs. Merge thin H2s; split walls of text that hide a second job.

Can AI rewrite the final headings?

Use AI for option lists if you want, then human-edit for specificity, parallel structure where it helps, and honest section labels. Never ship vague “Key Insights” stacks unedited.

Where do intro and conclusion rewrites fit?

After headings stabilize enough that the TOC reflects the real page. Intro and conclusion should not promise sections whose H2s you later rename away. See intro and conclusion owners.

Will better H2s guarantee rankings?

No. Clear headings improve usability and help search engines understand sections. Rankings still need intent fit and useful body copy—not prettier labels alone.

Ship a skim path that matches the draft

Draft-Then-Headings is a label pass, not a second outline ritual. Early-link outline then draft, intro rewrite, conclusion rewrite, and title drafts so each chrome layer owns one job. Rename until a stranger can skim your H2s and know what the article actually delivers.