SEO is all about getting people to your website through search engines, but they need to want to click on the links they find there. That’s where your SEO title, meta description and URLs come in. These three pieces of information are the first things users will see of your website and should entice them to come in. Think of them as the front door to your website home. You want it to look welcoming and that they’ll find the right kind of home behind the door. Here’s how to write an SEO title that does that effectively.
What Is A Title Tag?
A title tag or SEO title is a piece of HTML that defines the name of the web page. This is slightly different to the page title which is another title HTML element that is used on the same page. A page title is usually featured on the page in the copy and in other areas of your website. An SEO title on the other hand is usually shown only on the tab of your browser and in search engine results. Because of this, the title tag is an important indicator to both humans and robots of what the page is about.
Why Is The Title Tag Important For SEO?
A title tag is an essential element in your on-page SEO strategy. There are two main ways the SEO title helps your SEO strategy.
Firstly, a title tag will explain to search engines what the page is about. As a title is relatively short it should reflect very directly what the web page contains. This is a good indicator to search engine bots and will aid them in placing your website on a results page for relevant queries.
Secondly, as stated above, the SEO title is one of the first things a potential customer will see when on a search engine results page (SERPs). If the title is written well it will encourage the users to click through to the website. If the title is written poorly it could put users off. They need to feel that when they click that title they will receive the information they are looking for.
How to Write an SEO Title Tag
A good SEO title follows the same rules as all good copywriting; make it clear, concise and in a format that is easy to read.
Descriptive
A quality SEO title will be short and succinct. It should describe the contents of the page as precisely as it can while also being brief. When the title is highly descriptive, it provides potential readers with the right information to decide wherever they want to see the site. If your title does not match the contents of the page, you may receive a click but they are likely going to click back straight away. This could damage your SEO rankings so ensure your title is accurate.
Correct Length
Brief is better. A short title will be more concise and should be able to convey the correct information within a second. Shorter titles are also necessary because most search engines will shorten or truncate the title if it goes over a certain limit. 55 to 60 characters (including spaces) is considered the gold standard when it comes to title tags. Below this amount, you are not using the full potential of the title. Longer than this limit and you run the risk of the title being broken off halfway through a sentence.
Easy To Read
SEO titles are just copy. As such, they should be written with the reader in mind and be simple to understand and easy to read. The language should not be very complicated and repeats the sentiment of being clear and concise. From a readability standpoint, you should use separators where necessary to separate relevant information. For example, if you include your company name, this should be parted with a marker.
How To Write An SEO Title | Middleton Marketing
Unique
Another consideration that aids your on-page SEO, is keeping your title unique. Every page on your website should be unique and should be focusing on a different keyword or topic. Your title should remain a unique tag so both users and robots can identify the correct page. A duplicate SEO title will make your work on them obsolete.
Keywords Featured
If you are writing a blog article or web page, we hope you’ve done your keyword research beforehand. Each web page should be considered within your SEO strategy which usually means a keyword or phrase is featured. These words should be included in your SEO title to help display your page on the right SERPs.
On-Page SEO Tactics
I hope this guide has been helpful for you. If you need any help on optimising your web pages, blog articles or products, get in touch. I’m an experienced on-page SEO optimiser and can provide advice and strategy on improving your website. Let’s grow your business together.