(First published in Search Engine Watch on June 6th, 2014.)
Much may have changed through the years in SEO, but the importance of the title tag can't be overstressed. Here's how to create title tags that state who you are, what you do, why anyone should bother to click, and why Google should care.
Your website's title tag is your opening line when you first meet someone, or a welcoming greeting on your return. It's used (most of the time) as the clickable text in a search result, it's the headline to your ad, the start of a search conversion funnel, and a facet of internal linking. It is important. (Did I make that clear?)
Tip 1: The Long
Much has been debated over the maximum length of a title tag. Review the mean recommendations of ten online resources and the average lands around 65–70 characters. But character count is a somewhat spurious measure — the sum of each character's width should be the primary driver of optimal SERP display. Don't spout change for change's sake; cover your main topic(s) even if it runs a little long for display.
Tip 2: The Short
Is there a minimum? Why waste valuable real estate with a short title tag and a missed opportunity to inspire a click? And if you leave gaps, Google may "fill in the blanks" from on-page content — so you lose control over what shows. Follow the maximum width as your target and shortness becomes a moot point.
Tip 3: The Start
There's nothing worse than missing an opportunity. Start strong, lead with your best foot, and connect with the search query to inspire the click. You don't have to start with your primary keyword — do some informal testing to see what mix inspires clicks. Title tags are an art and a science. Write accordingly. Be creative.
Tip 4: The Big Bold Bit
It's not just bravado — nothing draws the eye more than contrast. When your query terms appear (and get bolded) in the result, psychologically we see it as more important, our eyes are directed to differences, and we feel more confident in decisions that appear with signals of strength. Anticipate users' queries and include them.
Tip 5: The Switch Hitter
Search [homes for sale] and you'll see results whose titles don't include an exact match. Google guesses — sometimes well — based on a massive dataset of prior queries and semantically related themes. Leverage thematic rather than exact-match keyword-rich titles to capture far more than the single query you had in mind.
Tip 6: The Big Click
A title tag should not only be clickable, it should inspire clicks through some kind of call to action. There's more to clickability than formatting. I tend to push the most obvious CTAs into the meta description where there's more room to tell a (short) story — but an active verb or distinct command can sometimes fit snugly into a title tag.
Tip 7: The Stand Out
You may not be top of the page, but that doesn't mean you can't be top of mind. Click-through rate is a valuable signal of relevance and engagement. Review the SERP for your key queries, analyze the competition, and differentiate within the confines of these tips. Being more clickable than the competition is the key when a higher ranking is hard to come by.
Tip 8: The Databank
One way to add differentiation is the inclusion of dynamic data — numbers of found results, items sold, or people involved. It attracts the eye and serves as a reminder to bots of page changes that can inspire recrawls. It takes development effort, but if intent can be influenced through demonstrated scope and scale, dynamic titles can be ideal.
Tip 9: The Brand
To brand or not to brand? There's no definitive answer and no proof of an SEO lift from including brand keywords. But you should rank for your brand. Period. I generally recommend the brand be visible in the home page title — either first, or right after your key differentiator keywords.
Tip 10: The Reality
Google can show whatever they like, and will. Do a brand search and you'll see a massively truncated result based on navigational intent. Following best practice is designed to give Google no reason to swap your title out — but they can, and will, show anything they believe is more relevant. Test.
Bonus Tip: The Power Tag
Onsite, the title tag is a powerful tool almost certainly used by engines to assess page topics and the logical connections between them. In a genuinely user-centric site, links between topically relevant pages reinforce page, topic, and hierarchy relevance. The lowly title tag goes far beyond the SERP.
Still think title tags are old hat?
