A magnetic head with improved hard magnet properties includes a read sensor; a multi-layered seed layer structure in end regions adjacent the read sensor; and a multi-layered seed layer structure formed upon crystalline materials of the read sensor in the end regions. The multi-layered seed layer structure includes a first seed layer made of chromium-molybdenum (Cr--Mo); a second seed layer made of nickel-tantalum (Ni--Ta); and a third seed layer made of chromium-molybdenum (Cr--Mo). The hard bias layer is preferably cobalt-platinum-chromium (Co--Pt--Cr).