Title tags define the content on your pages for both humans and search engines. How important are they? Along with the content and links pointing to your pages, title tags are one of the top 3 factors for search engine rankings and critical to succeeding in online marketing.
Title tags provide 4 basic functions:
- Tell the search engines what your page is about
- Define a page in the browser toolbar
- Display a title for the page in search engine results
- Provide the title when a page is put into a Favorites list
If done right, your title tags provide search engine optimization value for your site and your web pages. Consider these 7 tips for writing effective title tags:
1. Make it relevant. By nature, title tags are concise and to the point. Although Google allows 120 characters, only 70 characters will display in search engine results. So, make each word relevant to who you are and what you do. For example:
<title>Internet Marketing Service Chicago Illinois</title>
2. Include your company name. The title tag is another way to display your name and get your brand noticed by search engines and people. If you have a well-known brand, consider putting the company name first.
<title>Smith and Smith Internet Marketing Services - Chicago Illinois</title>
Or
<title>Internet Marketing Services Chicago Illinois | Smith and Smith</title>
3. Include keywords and phrases. Which words are searchers using to find you? Use your most important keywords in your title tags and your pages will be indexed properly.
If each page of your site focuses on a specific topic within your primary topic, be sure to use the keywords specific to each page in each title tag. Don’t make them all the same. For example, within your site, you have a company blog titled “Internet Marketing Made Simple”. When people click to that page the title tag should include both the main keyword and the specific keyword:
<title>Smith and Smith Internet Marketing Made Simple Blog</title>
4. Write the content first. This is a smart way to ensure that your title tags align well with the content on their pages. This also tests the effectiveness of your SEO copy. If you can’t find the primary keyword/focus in the content, then it’s time to rewrite the page!
5. Don’t stuff keywords. When it comes to title tags, keywords are like just about everything else—too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Search engines hate spam, and readers probably won’t click on it either, so please don’t do this:
<title>Internet marketing marketing service marketing service Chicago marketing service Chicago Illinois</title>
6. Add a call to action. Take advantage of the opportunity to use title tags to compel people to act. Are you running a special? Include it in some of your title tags to get people to click:
<title> Chicago Internet Marketing Services Now 10% Off At Smith and Smith</title>
7. Be compelling. Don’t be afraid to make your title tags interesting and descriptive. Remember—you’re trying to get people to click on them!
<title>Internet Marketing That Gets Results- Smith and Smith Chicago Internet Marketing Service</title>
