There are always more effective ways of doing things, especially when it comes to SEO and digital marketing. By using “hacks” it is possible to improve title tags for more clicks. Clicks are important for digital marketing and SEO, so we wanted to share some easy ways to improve SEO rankings with these title tag tips.
Title tags are an important part of a well-rounded SEO strategy. Studies and tests have consistently shown that changing title tags can produce a measurable rise in the rankings. Clickthrough rate is an important metric that search engines track and is related to the overall ranking. By optimizing title tags and using different “hacks” you get more traffic and higher rankings.
Title Tag Tips – These title tag tips focus exactly on what you should use within your title tag to increase clicks and improve SEO rankings. However, it is important to recognize that like other SEO tips, they need to be experimented and tested because every audience is different.
Correct length – Length is very important in the title tag. Too short tags are not very descriptive and search engines may find it difficult to properly categorize the content. This is especially true if the subject is wide. On the other hand, too long title tags contain too much information, which makes categorizing difficult. The optimal length is usually 50 to 60 characters. Obviously this isn’t always easy to hit, but that’s the right place you should aim for.
Using dates – Dates are very useful to provide current, relevant content, especially for lists. You see this a lot with “Best” and “Top” lists for things like “Top NFL Rookies to Watch in 2019”. Certain keywords work more efficiently with dates, sometimes including the month, to further narrow the range. “Best NFL games to watch in November 2019”. If a user is looking for the best NFL games to watch, the title tag will immediately help the user identify that this content is current.
Using numbers – Numbers are useful because of what is known as ‘cognitive bias’. The human brain is trained to identify things that stand out and are specific. This is something that has been instilled through years of development during our early years. Numbers are specific and stand out when placed next to a list of letters. Consider “5 ways to save money now” versus “Five ways to save money now”. The number makes the first tag more identifiable.
Include Variants – Variations and synonyms should be an important consideration when creating a title tag. Regardless of what your best keyword choice is, there will always be variations in how people will search for that keyword. Sometimes it is as simple as the plural version of a word. In other cases, it is the difference between ‘cheap’ and ‘affordable’ or ‘cheap’. If space is available, it can pay dividends to include a synonym or variant in the title tag, such as “Affordable airline.
Tickets – how to get cheap flights.” You can double by using the primary keywords of “affordable airline tickets” with the variant of “cheap flights”.
Include action verbs – Action verbs are powerful. They are often used on a call-to-action website because they encourage clicks. For the same reason, they are useful for mixing in title tags. The action words demonstrate something extra for the user, such as: “Download a free copy of the 100 best travel destinations. While “Best Travel Destinations is the main focus, users are encouraged to click if they want to download a free copy.
Phrasing as a question – Using questions in title tags can be an effective way to generate clicks based on curiosity. People are curious and if you ask a question in the title, they don’t know the answer, there is an incentive to click and find out. In addition, this can sometimes lead to a recommended fragment being earned if the content provides a good answer to the title tag question. Google can then offer that answer to people who search that question or similar questions.
The bottom line is that great content is of little use if people don’t find it. That’s why title tags are such an important part of the content creation process. You can improve SEO rankings with these title tag tips by experimenting and testing to find out which are most effective for your audience. That allows for more clicks and exposure to the content you’ve worked so hard on.
