If you’re finding that your website is just not getting the traffic you think it should have, or perhaps your website isn’t showing up in search results, the Title tags of your pages could be the problem. Title tags are the most important aspect of any Search Engine Optimization campaign (a close second is well written content, and lots of it). Before we explain how to write an effective title tag that gets clicks, we need to review what a Title tag is and where it appears in search engines.

What the heck is a Title tag?

The title tag is an HTML title element that is crucial not only to SEO, but also to the user experience. Title tags are used to briefly and accurately describe the topic of an online document. Effective title tags get attention from search engines and visitors.

Where is the Title tag?

You can find the Title tag in a few different places.

1. In the source code.

Go to any webpage and view the source code. A few lines from the top, you will see this element:

Social Media Agency : SEO Agency : Inbound Marketing - Maine, NH, Boston

2. In the browser bar and browser tabs.

3. In search results

How to Write Title Tags – Best Practices

Keep it Short

The optimal length for a Title tag is less than 70 characters. Notice in the image above that the title is truncated (“…”) – it’s a tad bit too long, so Google is only showing the first 68 or so characters.

Put Primary Keyword Phrases First

Single keywords in a Title are never a good idea. Their too broad, you won’t rank for them, and your title will look like a string of keywords. It’s best to try to use 2-3 keyword phrases that accurately describe that page.

If your brand is the most important element, put your brand name first.

Brand Name – Keyword Phrase 1 – Keyword Phrase 2

If you’re more concerned about ranking for a certain keyword phrase, put it first.

Keyword Phrase 1 – Keyword Phrase 2 – Brand Name

If you only sell to a local area, be sure to include the Geo in the tag.

Keyword Phrase 1 – Geo Location – Brand Name

Keep it Relevant

Don’t get caught up in keyword rankings. If your site is well written, has lots of great content, you will be found. Be sure to write your title tag to accurately represent the content of that page. Google is all about relevancy. Your Title tag must accurately correlate to your page content.

Home Page

Every page of your website should have a unique Title tag. The home page typically has the most ranking power, hence, use your primary keyword phrases in the Title of the home page and in the content of the page itself. The home page introduces your company to the world, so it’s important that the keyword phrases are wisely chosen.

Examples for an online chocolate chip cookie company:
Good Title: Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies – Order Cookies Online – Cookies-R-Us

OK Title: Chocolate Chip Cookies by Cookies-R-Us

Bad Title: Cookies-R-Us

Bad Title: Welcome to Cookies-R-Us

Bad Title: Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

Really Bad Title: Home

Internal Pages

The internal web pages of your site are supporting pages. You may have pages that get very specific, like a Product page, or that are more generic, like an About Us page. Using the same structure as the Home page, an internal page Title tag may read like this:

Star Shaped Chocolate Chip Cookies by Cookies-R-Us – Order Online

Final Thoughts on Title Tags

When writing your Title tag, don’t write it just for the purpose of getting rankings on Google. While rankings are important, a Title tag that matches the content of that page is more important. As your web pages rise and fall in the rankings, it’s important to tweak your Title tags occasionally to make them more click-able, or tryout different keywords. Don’t be afraid of change here. Change is important with SEO.

There you have it! Have questions on Title tags? Need help optimizing your site? Just ask!