Did you know that the title tag of your web page might make or break its success? A title tag is typically the first thing a person sees before clicking on your website. The title tag is a key component for humans and searches engine robots to comprehend the content of your page.
Jump to the five steps for optimising your title tags if you want to go through everything quickly, or read straight through and skip to the section on optimising your title tags.
What is a website title?
The title tag is an HTML element that indicates the title of a website for search engines. Title tags assist search engines and visitors in establishing clear expectations about a web page’s material. The title tag is seen in search engine results pages (SERPs), web browsers, and social media sites. The title appears as the clickable text that directs visitors to a website in SERPs. For both web users and search engines, a website title identifies what the web page is about. The title tag appears inside the head tag at the top of an HTML or XHTML document.
The HTML title tag, in addition to marking the page’s title for search engines, plays an essential part in improving a website’s on-page search engine optimisation (SEO). On-page SEO is the process of optimising a website’s on-page elements (the content and HTML source code) in order to rank higher in search results. Optimising a website’s title tag might help you make a good first impression on potential customers.
Title Tags for Your Website: How to Improve Them
1. Identify a target keyword
A typical website does not rank for one keyword. Rather, the majority of websites rank for hundreds or possibly thousands of relevant keywords and phrases (long-tail keywords). Identifying a target keyword narrows your website’s focus to a single area. This approach also aids search engines and visitors in comprehending the page’s goal.
It might take time to rank your target term in search results. One approach to generate traffic while you wait is to focus on long-tail variations of your main keyword. The keyword “title tag” is an example. This blog post’s goal term, for example, is “title tag.” Though large competitors like Moz, Ahrefs, and Neil Patel currently hold the top spots in search results, it will take a long time to challenge their position. In the near term, I may target long-tail keywords like “what is a website title,” “HTML title tag,” and “title tag.”
2. Make your title tag unique
The title tag of your web page is generally a user’s first impression of it. If your title tag isn’t unique and stands out among the sea of search results, a user will most likely bypass your website.
Consider these three points while creating a title tag:
- What is the keyword you want to focus on?
- What is your unique selling proposition?
- Who is your intended audience?
The title tag should include your keyphrase, but you should never keyword stuff! According to a user experience study, people tend to read web pages in an F-shaped pattern. A quick scan of the first few lines horizontally, then down the left side of a page for crucial details, is typical.
The same user tendencies apply to SERPs as well. Based on this study, try putting your target keyword in the title tag rather than at the end. This makes it simple for visitors to scan your title and discover what your material is about before they click on your website.
3. Keep title length between 50 and 60 characters
If your title tag is too long, Google will truncate it with an ellipsis (…), leaving your readers hanging on the edge of their seats screaming, “WHAT IS THIS SITE ABOUT?” Long title tags with ellipses, on the other hand, can pique the interest of users in some situations. However, it’s best to take a cautious approach and keep your title tags short but informative. While the precise restriction depends on a 600-pixel container, Google advises keeping your title length between 50 and 60 characters to avoid being chopped.
Even if you use Google’s guidelines for creating descriptive title tags, it’s possible that Google may generate a higher-quality title in search results to better match the user’s search query. This data comes from anchors, on-page text, and other sources.
4. Write several variations of your title tag
When creating your title tag, use the following techniques to develop numerous versions:
- Make use of your target keyword.
- Create a title tag that is both unique and descriptive.
- Keep your title as short as possible, preferably between 50 and 60 characters.
For example, I wrote the following titles for this blog post:
Option 1: 5 Simple Steps to Optimize Your Title Tag (41 characters)
Option 2: Optimize Your Title Tag in 5 Simple Steps (41 characters)
Option 3: Title Tag Optimization: 5 Simple Steps (38 characters)
Option 4: Title Tag Optimization in 5 Simple Steps (40 characters)
Option 5: 5 Simple Steps You Can Use to Optimize Your Website Title Tags (62 character
In each title, I included my target keyword, “title tag,” but I immediately eliminated Options 1, 2, and 5 because the words title tag were either buried in the middle of the title or tacked on at the end. For each version, I was concerned with keeping the title brief while yet being descriptive and geared toward my target audience: Finally, I used a character count tool to see how long each title was. Except for Option 5, which had a length of over 60 characters, each title was well under the 60-character limit. I had to pick between Options 3 and 4 after eliminating Options 1, 2, and 5 since they were identical save for two characters and one word.
5. Properly format your title tag
After you’ve generated a few titles and chosen a winner, you can properly format your title tag for search engine results!
There are two standard formatting options for titles:
- The first word of the title should be capitalized.
- Capitalize the majority of the words in the title.
One pro tip (Hopefully, it’s self-evident): AVOIDS USING CAPS AT ANY COST. You don’t want your title tag to scream at people. Instead, your title tag should contain all of the features mentioned above and users should be drawn naturally to your website because your title tag is interesting and corresponds with their search query.
Optimising your title tags is one small aspect of an overall SEO strategy, but being aware of the details may pay off in the long run!
