Titles Win The SERP
So you’ve spent hours, maybe even days working on a new page for your website. Perfecting the copy, finding the right images, and making sure the CTAs (Calls to Action) are attractive, now all you’ve got to do is give it a title tag. If you’re anything like me, by the time you come to giving something a title, your inspiration well is running dry. So, if you need a little help getting that page from draft to published, here are five tips on writing great page title tags.
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5 Ingredients
Remember what the page is for – The page should have ONE specific purpose. For example, we recommend optimizing a page for one keyword and it’s designed to fully answer a search query. If you can’t think of what that one purpose is, then perhaps the page is too muddled or diverse. Consider taking some content out or refining it.
Make it unique – One topic per page should ensure this. Try and make sure that every page has a unique name. This won’t only help visitors, but also you. If you have an “AdWords” page and a “Google AdWords” page, it can quickly get confusing if you need to start editing one.
Remember who sees it – Your page title doesn’t just appear at the top of the browser window. It’s your first CTA on the search engine results page. As a result, your page title tag needs to be compelling. It has to entice, pulling your potential reader in. This is the first thing a searcher will see. Use your space wisely.
Don’t stuff all the keywords in – Sure, every page should be optimized and have a keyword associated with it. But don’t go over the top. Keyword stuffing is grey hat SEO and can be punished by search engines. Also, it looks terrible. The SERP is read by humans and keyword stuffing is a turn-off.
Remember the space limits – Google now measures title tags and meta descriptions by pixels. As they test new SERP formats, there isn’t a set character limit. We’ve found that a good rule of thumb for a page title tag is about 60 characters. If you go over the pixel limit, your title will be cut off possibly mid-sentence. So don’t do it. Again, going back to the first point, if the title can’t be quickly summed up, then maybe you need to look at the page and see if it is focused enough.
Another point related to character length – often you will see it recommend that you include your company name in the page title. If you’re going to do this, then add it at the end of the title tag rather than at the beginning. The search engine gives more attention to the words at the beginning, so you want your keywords to be up front and center.
Triumph Through A Terrific Title Tag
By now you should have a good idea of how to craft a great title tag. Have you found a formula that gets you a click from the SERP?
How can we help?
What do you see on the SERP when you look at your website’s pages? How many clicks do your title tags get?
We are Spectrum Group Online, and we offer strategic and tactical consulting so you can monetize your online presence. Call us for a complimentary 30-minute consultation to discuss your website’s user experience and translate that into sales.
Photo credit – Top: Blue Diamond Gallery
Photo credit – Bottom: Picaflour
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