A good title is the first impression your page makes on search engines. If you’ve ever tried to search for something on Google, you know this. The engine displays the best search results based on the query it has received. The title tag is the snippet that appears on the results page, and you need to make it as descriptive and interesting as possible.
That said, some factors influence the title of a page, and you need to keep these in mind if you want your page to appear at the top of the search results. To clarify, we’re not talking about the meta tag: <meta name=”title”> which is not read by search engines, but rather <title>. This is one of the most important tasks in SEO. That said, here are a few tips for writing a good title.
Know your audience
The first step in writing a good title is to understand your audience. You need to know what they’re looking for and why they’re looking for it. There are several ways to do this, but you can also try keyword research in your niche. Start by Googling the topic you want to write about, then look at the autocomplete results. This will give you an idea of the types of keywords people are using to find your topic. You can also use tools like SEMrush to see what popular pages are ranking for. Then, don’t forget to look at what your competitors are doing.
Use the right keywords for your title
The second step in writing a good title is to use keywords. Google is particularly interested in titles containing targeted expressions, which will appear at the top of the page in search results. Don’t forget that title tags are generally only 10 to 12 words long and must not exceed 65 characters. Beyond that, the title will either be truncated in the SERPs, or replaced by another chosen by the search engine. So make every word count. And don’t get caught up in keyword stuffing. Although important keywords make up a smaller percentage of your content, they are more likely to result in a page that ranks.
Stay in your niche
Knowing what your audience is looking for is only half the battle. You also need to find a way to connect with them on a personal level. Google likes this, which is why it has several different algorithms. One of these, called content relevance, is based on user behavior. As we mentioned earlier, you need to target popular keywords in your title.
The trick is to make your title relevant to your niche. You can do this by sticking to your subject and avoiding topics outside your niche. What’s more, by staying within your sector, you’ll acquire sufficient authority. In this way, you’ll be able to develop your site’s EAT. A good title is one of the first steps in this process.
Incorporate SEO tips into your title
SEO is an ever-changing field, constantly evolving to keep up with the latest trends. That’s why so many SEO tricks are used by so many people. If you want your title to rank, it needs to be descriptive and target as many relevant keywords as possible. Indeed, the important keyword here is relevant. You need to think carefully about the key phrase on which you want to position your page. The title shouldn’t be a place where you stuff your keywords. No! You need to think carefully about how to chisel out your keywords. The title should take the “meat” of your page and turn it into a headline.
With this in mind, you can also incorporate many SEO tricks to make your title stand out. Indeed, as we said above, beyond 65 characters the title is truncated. But keywords beyond that are still taken into account… There’s nothing to stop you from making your titles longer. However, you must ensure that your truncated title is clearly understandable. Let’s stress, though, that you shouldn’t make a novel out of your title, nor stuff it with your keywords. Your title must be logical and consistent with your page as a whole.
Consider search volumes
Don’t forget that your space is limited. For example, it may be more interesting to try and position yourself on the general name of your product. You need to think carefully about volume and your target audience. What are the search volumes for your product name, for your company name, or for the generic product name presented on the page?
What’s more, structuring of your titles needs to be thought through in advance as part of your SEO plan. This should be based on search volumes, but also on what’s important to you.
Conclusion
As you can see, it’s important to write a good title to achieve better search engine rankings. You can use keywords, add SEO tips, and make sure it’s as descriptive as possible to get maximum results. A good title will pique your readers’ interest and encourage them to click on your article. Remember, you give your readers a reason to click, so make sure your title is interesting enough to pique their interest.
If you’d like us to write your headlines or pages, or carry out an audit to help optimize your sites, our SEO agency is here to help. The quickest way to develop your SEO strategy is to fill in the following form: