Four Simple Tips for Writing Better Title Tags
Search engines don’t have eyes.
They don’t rank websites based on beauty.
They really do see your website for what it is on the inside…well, actually search engines see it for what’s in that SEO tab.
And one thing I notice is a lot of people - especially those who are building sites on DIY platforms - are overlooking simple opportunities to optimize their search engine ranking.
Ummm, because I know I did.
When I built out my site? I just sort of studiously avoided the SEO tab and all that mystifying stuff.
So when I recently ran an SEO audit on my own site?
Let’s just say that I have my work cut out for me between client projects.
One thing on my “needs improvement” list are my site’s title tags.
Title tags are the clickable links that are displayed on a search engine results page, as the title in linked social media posts, and the tab “identifier text” in a web browser.
So, you want to be sure the title tag for each page of your website is written to appeal to search engines and the human beings who will use them.
If you use the Chrome browser, there’s a free extension called SEO Meta In One Click that will display each page of your website’s title tags so you can check them out for yourself.
And honestly, title tags are one of the easier SEO tasks to tackle - even for the SEO mystified among us.
Optimize your site’s title tags with my four simple tips:
Don’t go keyword crazy but also…get your keyword in early.
A list of keywords isn’t a title. Today’s bots are smart enough to figure out variations of your keyword so you don’t have to waste space covering all the bases in your title tag.
If you “over-optimize” (a.k.a. “keyword stuff”) your title, you run the risk of having some overtired, underpaid bot at Google rewrite your title tag for you. We want title tags with human appeal so it’s always better when humans actually write them.
But understand that as engaging as your title may be, most people are simply scanning the results for their search query. Don’t assume they will read your entire title. Get that keyword or other unique thing dropped in the first 2-3 words, catch their eye, and get the click.
And the last reason to get that keyword in a place of prominence? It keeps your webpage open (and your content front and center) when those multi-tabbers reach critical mass and start scanning for tabs to close.
Front load those keywords, friends.
Keep your title short and sweet (and don’t shout).
Although there isn’t a penalty for writing a long title, search engines will shorten it if it gets too long. Whenever possible, you should always avoid a situation where your keyword could end up behind the Ellipsis of Truncation™.
Aim for 50-60 characters not as a hard and fast rule, but one that will usually spare you from being clipped in the results.
Use title case and whatever you do, don’t shout your title at visitors by putting it ALL CAPS. It creates a terrible user experience and even the bots don’t seem to like it. Shouting your title could even cause great content to fail to rank.
Step away from the caps lock.
There’s no page like this page.
Title tags should be unique, just like the pages they represent. Your site’s content is valuable and one of a kind. But repeating titles or using default titles can give the false impression of duplicate content. In search engine optimization world, duplicate content is hotly debated and can get downright complicated but any threat to your website’s potential traffic is best avoided. Your best move here is to not ever let default title tags out into the wild.
If you are an e-commerce company coming up with unique titles can seem daunting, but create a simple naming convention with the product name first and you’ll see those titles practically write themselves.
No Welcome, Home, or New Page, please.
Always write for searching humans (with a nod to searching engines).
One of the goals of your title tag is to give a search engine sufficient information to understand what your page is about and return it in results, but ultimately? Your real goal is to write title tags that convert well-targeted website visitors into paying customers.
Your title tag is your first impression with new traffic. Keep your tone light, friendly, and positive and most importantly…accurate. Write a title that is engaging but one that is also an honest representation of the page’s content. A bait and switch title might get the click-through, but it won’t get the conversion.
Keep your title tags on point.
Because title tags matter to both search engines and search users, if you haven’t paid them much mind in the past, or were confused or overwhelmed by the SEO tab on your DIY website platform, there’s no time like the present to put a little polish on your site’s title tags using these simple tips for writing better ones.