In February 2014, I noticed how many websites placed “Welcome to our website” at the top of the homepage. The writers meant to be friendly. But someone who has opened the page already knows they are welcome. That prominent space can do more.
Answer the first question
A new visitor wants to understand where they have arrived. What does this business or person offer? For whom is it meant? What can I do here? A heading such as “Accounting for independent designers” says much more than “Welcome”. A short line beneath can explain the problem the service solves or what the visitor will find.
This does not mean every homepage must sound dry. You can write warmly and personally without using the first sentence on an empty greeting. An example, photo or clear product description can be both welcoming and useful. Read the top of your page as if you had never heard of the brand and ask whether its meaning becomes clear quickly.
Rewrite for people
The old article said that using “welcome” as the h1 would make Google think the whole page was about welcoming people and hurt its ranking. Search does not work that directly; the claim was too strong. The better reason to rewrite the heading is that it helps people. An informative heading says what the page offers and helps visitors decide whether to continue.
This overlaps with the value of a tagline, but it is a separate practical example: replace an empty greeting on the homepage with a meaningful first sentence. Visitors are more likely to feel in the right place when they immediately understand why the page is for them.