Best SEO Practices – Creating Compelling Titles

 

When talking about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies, the title of your post is incredibly important. If your title isn’t compelling, no one will click your post and read the amazing content.

Keeping the importance of titles in mind, here are some ways you can use best SEO practices and create compelling titles.

1. Search Results Highlight Titles

When using a browser search, your potential reader will use a keyword. The importance of having a title that is as close to the exact term as possible will increase the likely hood of your article appearing in the search results. Consider also, the relevancy of your title to the term being searched; this will directly affect how high it will appear on the results page. Probably most importantly though, the more engaging the title feels to the reader, the more likely they will be to select your article and click the link.

2. Social Media Uses Titles

When sharing your content to social media, the title may be the first and only opportunity you have to entice readers to your content. Facebook, and many other sites use the article title as the link, this makes it the most prominent item shown to the reader. The title needs to convey what the article is about, and also motivate your reader’s decision to click. A title may be the single factor that determines if a reader clicks through or moves on.

Make the Most of Every Title

So what can you do to improve your titles? Search your prospective title to sharpen it using suggested terms. You should see a drop-down list that is relevant to the topic of your article. You may find a title that has more search stamina from the suggestions!

Placing important keywords at the beginning of the title can impact your search-ability. Studies indicate that titles perform better when keywords appear early in the title.

Keep it quick and concise. If your title is too long, only a portion of it will appear in search results. 60-75 characters are the ideal lengths to ensure the whole title shows.

The title of your post needs to properly reflect the subject of your content. You can try posing an intriguing question or a list of tips. Both are strong techniques for writing a title. Be creative and think about what you would be most likely to click as reader combined with a keyword that will be found in search results.

Another tool you can use is title generating tools like the TweakYourBiz.com title generator. If you’re banging your head against the wall trying to create a call to action and are also compelling, then perhaps a title generator can garner some inspiration and insight.

3 Fundamentals:

To recap, let’s cover 3 key fundamentals:

1. Search engines are more likely to give higher rank to titles that have been optimized and are relevant to the content. Keywords can be your biggest advantage in helping your work be found.
2. Your title must be captivating and compelling. A simple search can produce dozens of results. Because of this, you must give potential readers a reason to click on your title.
3. Keep in mind that, aside from the actual content of your post, the title is the most important item. It is the defining factor between getting someone to click on your article or pass it by for the next result. Take the time to make it work for you!