When it comes to writing a blog post, one of the basic and major things you want to look into is : how is the title tag coming along.
Title tags are extremely imporant.
They are like the main title of your book.
Now before you go on and hit us with the notion how a blog post does not qualify as a complete actual book, the main thing you need to take from this talk is that a title is actually the major glue that holds the whole story together.
It is what will bring someone to your platform.
You need to bring the complete idea of a book into a few words- this will decide if people will be reading it or not.
This blog post is all about title tags. We will talk about the influence of it, how they matter and ways in which you can create the best ones.
So let’s get on with it:
Why are Title Tags Important?
Title tags need to work great and impact two main aspects when it comes to creating amazing SEO blog posts.
Firstly, you need to know how they will influence the readers and the crawlers.
The readers are the people who are coming onto your site. They have clicked on the title tag link and so your title needs to give a complete picture on what are they going to gain.
The second ones are the crawlers, the ones who actually prioritize how the page is going to the get the ranking. This is done by keeping a number of factors in focus, but the main one being title tag.
So now you know how it actually plays a key role in giving your blog post the ranking it deserves.
You may have amazing content but if your title tag is falling flat, there is no use of it. It is one of the essentials you learn in On-Page SEO.
So what are these tags exactly?
Let’s brush onto that for a bit:
What is a Title Tag?
In its simplest sense, this is basically the HTML element which you find in the head section of the HTML code.
In the HTML code they actually appear as :
<head>
<title> Your title </title>
</head>
This title tag is extremely important to how you craft your stories and it appears in some major places where it is crucial to your whole article.
For starters, it comes in the search engine results pages ( SERPs)
It is essential to understand how it is the what appears when a reader is typing into the search engine.
For someone inquiring about something, how you represent your entire offering and service depends on a few words.
Not to put the pressure on you but that is how important it is to have a solid title tag.
Aside from SERPS, these title tags also appear in:
- Social media posts
- Browser tabs
- chat messages
- video invites
How Google Play a Role in Catchy Title Tags
Title tags are very important. So much so that even Google plays a role in keeping them focused and committed to doing their job.
This is the information which is letting the readers know what information they are going to get.
Search engines also have a reputation to hold.
They need to make sure that what the title tag is informing , it will be delivering.
So in this case, if Google feels the title tag is not good or it is ineffective, it is best to change it and make use of something which is better suited to the needs of the user.
It is an algorithm that comes into play to ensure the smooth linking and running of the page with Google’s methodology.
The title tag plays a key role in keeping the relevancy of the page in tact so that it is in accordance to what the search query.
Keeping the same mannerism in tact, it is important to know how your title tag is a key interlinking all the major segments of SEO and quality blogging.
Parts of the Title Tag ( And Their Best Practices)
So now that we have had a good talk on what exactly are title tags, I want to now look into all the major elements of this code.
As well as how we can ensure they are being utilized in the best way.
There are a few set practices and guidelines which will allow for it to keep on working in a proper way:
Length of the Title Tag
The first thing which is a set rule is that your title tags cannot be longer than 60 characters. While Google hasn’t actually set a core rule on how long can they be, it is a risky step.
If the title tag is more than 60 characters, there is a chance that it can ne chopped off in the middle.
This not only makes the message incomplete but also leads to poor SEO practice. It leaves a bad impression as well. Giving you poorer reach and ranking.
Also I wanted to mention how the three dots in the end are actually in poor taste as it doesn’t leave suspense but makes the user skip that post altogether. Instead of this, you should make use of tight titles- simple and straight to the point.
In today’s fast paced world, no one has the time to sit around and make sense of titles. It is just an additional hassle no one is interested in.
Also don’t make use of all capital letters. This is simply because they take up so much space than lower case letters.
Keywords Are Essential
So this is basically the major element you need to keep your focus on. It is probably even more important than title tags even.
If you are making title tags with the relevant keywords, you can actually do so much for your SEO optimization.
Make use of keywords which work great, and which are in demand. Keyword difficulty is an essential element to understanding what keywords to make use of.
But the key is not to overdo it.
That would cause more harm than good.
The act of Keyword Stuffing where you try to throw into a large variation of keywords is something Google can easily identify.
And this will lead it to the change the complete keyword again.
Instead of using a keyword with different variations in a title tag that falls flat, it is better if you just make use of the keyword once in a solid title tag.
But here’s a quick and effective tip- use the keyword in the start.
While again there is no set rule on the matter- the fact of the matter is you should place the keyword at least in the first five spaces.
If we look into the SERPs results, you will notice how many of the highest ranking sights are actually placing the keyword in the beginning.
It’s a safe practice and what are you losing really?
Steer Clear of Stop Words
So before talking about why you should not use stop words, I wanted to hit upon what these stop words actually are:
- A
- But
- Was
- So
- On
- The
- With
- And
Stop words put an end to a strong sentence formation so it is best to not make use of them.
Since the criteria here is to get a very strong title tag in just a few words, it is best to not put in these stop words which hit on the rhythm and impact the flow of words.
So instead of creating a title tag falling flat, it is best to avoid it altogether.
Invest in Unique. Catchy Title Tags
Everyone is looking into getting that ultimate and unique experience.
Think outside the box and make use of unique word combinations.
Don’t use generic words but think of something which stands out and gives your web pages an edge over the competitors.
The competition is extremely fierce and we need to make use of various ways to stand out from the crowd.
Using Action Words
Now this is something very interesting. Adapt strong, action words in your title tags.
These action verbs are actually used to express how something will turn out.
It also leads to users making use of click-throughs.
I will point out some of the best and most effective action words you can use:
- Get
- Go
- Aim
- Take
- Boost
- Give
- Look
If you place an action word in the title, it allows for the users to understand how the content is coming and how can they gain benefits from it.
For example if you use the word ‘learn’, it points that there is an academic element to it. The word ‘get’ affirms that some action is coming out of it.
You will likely find some kind of service attached to it- this means, some action will follow with it. So when you use these kind of words, the user gets an idea that some kind of action will pursue in the post.
Conclusion
Title tags are one of the most essentials elements to SEO optimizing. This article was all about how you can make use of some of the best practices to apply to its different elements.
SEO is quite interesting and this article gave a glimpse into its usage when it comes to catchy title tags.