How To Make A Title Tag That Search Engines Will Love
|
Making the following changes to your title tag can help improve ranking and increase targeted traffic to your website:
Include keyword phrases in your title tag:
Think of a title tag as the name above a shop. Imagine you are walking down a busy street with shops on either side of you. However every shop window is boarded up and all that is visible is its name. You mean to purchase a new Hi-Fi system and need to locate a suitable store. You look at all the names but are getting confused as to which one is for you. All of a sudden you see a store with 'Hi-Fi and Electrical' in its name. You enter and purchase your spanking new Hi-Fi system, but it is a bit expensive. And little did you know but the store next door also sold Hi-Fi systems but for a lot cheaper. However its name did not indicate this. In fact its name sounded more like a jewellery shop than an electrical store.
A search engine is rather like the shopper in the above example. It sees the title on each web page and determines whether this would be a good result to return based on its text. If you search for 'Hi-Fi' it is highly likely that some of the results returned will have 'Hi-Fi' in their title.
To be found using the search engines you should optimize your website for a set of keyword phrases. These keyword phrases should be included in your title tag. Suppose I was a website selling Hi-Fi systems, then I would like my website to appear in search engine results when searching with the phrase 'Hi-Fi systems'. If I include 'Hi-Fi systems' in my title tag I will increase the chances that the search engines will find the page and my ranking will be higher. Of course you are not limited to adding only one keyword phrase to your title, I would recommend two perhaps three but be careful not to make it too long. Also remember make it easy to understand and descriptive for a human.
Order these keyword phrases effectively:
Placing a keyword phrase at the start of the title tag allows it to be seen better by the search engines. Look at the following examples:
* ABCDEF Electrical - Hi-Fi Systems
* Hi-Fi Systems - ABCDEF Electrical
Both of these two examples are acceptable to human eyes but in the eyes of the search engines the second is see as more relevant if 'Hi-Fi Systems' is searched for because it appears at the start of the title. Generally it is best to place company name or the name of website to the end of your title tag.
Make your title enticing to the eye:
Although this point does not make a lot of difference to the search engines it can help to get people to click on your link in search results.
Which is easier on the eye?
1. XYZ COMPUTER HARDWARE
2. XYZ CoMpUtEr HaRdWaRe
3. XYZ Computer Hardware
I imagine that most people would say that (3) is the most pleasing. (1) and (2) are harder to read because of improper captilization. In (1) you see that using all capitals detracts the importance of any words you actually want to draw attention to and also some search engines may penalise this practice. (2) is simply a nightmare to read.
Try to keep title tags as unique as possible:
As each page on your site should be unique so should your title tags. Not only do unique title tags make the site more descriptive and navigable to a person they help search engines answer queries more accurately and allow more penetration of your site's pages in their databases.
Common title tags mistakes:
* Do not leave your title tag blank, ever!
* Do not use 'Untitled' or default text in your title tag.If you are using a web page editing application it may place some default text in the title tag. Make sure you always check your title to make sure this doesn't happen.
* Do not write title tags that are not relevant to the content on the page.Search engines compare text in the title tag against actual textual content on your page to rate relevancy. If the two are not related this will decrease your ranking. Also it is annoying to a person who visits your page when the title tag they saw going into your page does not relate to the content on the page. This will ensure that this person leaves your site and maybe never comes back.
* Do not stuff your title tag with repeating keyword phrases.This may be looked upon by search engines as spamming and they may penalise your ranking.
Summary:
Ignoring title tags is definitely a mistake if you aim to achieve high rankings. Although it takes a lot more than the title tag to propel you to the top of the search engines it can be very effective in making a search engine more secure that your site's content is more relevant than a competitor's.
Frank Kilkelly is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Expert and Webmaster at http://www.seo-ireland.com/, a complete search engine optimization resource. The highlight of the site is an SEO forum http://www.seo-ireland.com/forum/ for discussion of the latest techniques and tips to improve the ranking of your web site.
|
|
|
Good Things Come To Those Who Wait (and Other Analogies And Cliché?s For Seo)
We've all heard that familiar expression, "Good things come to those who wait". Whether you're waiting for your Heinz ketchup to pour out onto your burger (remember those commercials?), waiting for Christmas day to open your gifts, waiting for summer vacation to be let out of school, or waiting in line at the DMV? well, maybe not the DMV, good things will come if you simply allow them to come in their own time.Under normal circumstances that expression is simply not true. You'll still get your ketchup if you s...(related: Seo)
Keywords, Ranking, & Search Engine Optimization Fun
I am a Search Engine Optimization newbie. I have read alittle on various forums, browsed a few articles, and readthro...(related: Seo)
An Easy Way Not To Get Banned By Google
Strategic search engine optimization involves far more than keyword research, META tags and content.If you want to mange an SEO program, you need to be aware of any issue that can affect your success.Domain name management is one of the big factors. Effective domain name management is critical because you could end up getting banned from Google and other search engines if you take the wrong approach.Why would Google ban you?In the spirit of fair play and ...(related: Seo)
The Search Doesnt End At Your Homepage
In a recent report for a new client, I wrote:
"Remember, a visitor's search doesn't end when they leave Google. Their search and the phrases associated with it continue right through to the completion of the task they have in mind."
Many of us pay attention to the keywords and phrases being used by our visitors when they arrive via a search engine. It makes sense not only because it gets you higher rankings, but also because the use of the right search terms signals to your reader that ...(related: Seo)
Link Building Services
In today scenario when we talk about Search Engine Optimization, we also talk about one of the most important aspect of SEO, which is Link Building. But there are different types, aspects and limitations of Link Building, which would be discussed now under1.Types of Link Building: I would be explaining this factor in a more understandable manner...(related: Seo)
Search Engine Optimization For Blogs
Blogging software is really a simple Content Management System (CMS) that easily adds new pages and integrates them into your site's navigational structure and linkage.Blogs and blog posts are naturally search engine friendly because they are text-rich, link-rich, frequently-updated web...(related: Seo)
Gaining Additional Pagerank
Google is the major search engine webmasters have to deal with in regards to gain traffic from a search engine. Yes, Yahoo and MSN are big, too - but they are only follow-ups compared to Google's popularity. While you can gain significant traffic from these 2 great search engines, having a good spot in Google is critical for a website's success.Google PageRank is one visible sign of how well a website can do in Google. It is by far only one indicator and not the one sign of success in Google. The quarterly updates to the Google Toolbar show how websites can move up or down in the popularity rankings. PageRank is calculated by how many other websites link to a certain website. A combination of own PR and if a link is related to the overall category a website is in, will determine how valuable the link is and what PR a linked to websi...(related: Seo)
Soliciting Search Engines
As your guide operator through the web, search engines are invaluable when used effectively.You don't have to be able to create a search engine to use it, and their interface is designed with that in mind.Here are some quick considerations that should help any domestic trade.1.If searching for a regional product, use a regional engine. If you live in Sweden and want information on ...(related: Seo)
The Two Most Important Things You Must Do For Google Top Ranking
Attaining a top ranking in Goggle or any other major search engine nowadays is a herculean task indeed. But webmasters are archieving this enviable position continuously. The common thing about many of these top sites is that they have plenty of good content and quality one way inbound links.These are the two most important elements in search engine optimization today. Content and quality links are the most difficult aspects of present day SEO. I guess that is why the major search engines have adopted these two elements of SEO as a must for top ranking. They are right of course. Content is what the search engines crave and quality one way inbound links is what makes a site an authority site for a particular keyword.CONTENT:Providing quality content at your website...(related: Seo)
Google Vs. Yahoo -- How To Rank High On Each One
Google likes incoming links, especially links from high-ranking, on-topic pages that include keywords in the link text. Google doesn't like over-optimized, high keyword densities and over use of keywords in headings, etc. like they use to.Yahoo, on the other hand, looks at on-page factors more, such as keyword density, keywords in headings, etc. That is where the problem comes in.Of course, they both look at everyting, but keep these two very important points in mind ...(related: Seo)
Google Loosing Fan Base?
"Nothing last forever but the Earth and sky." - from Dust in the Wind by Kansas.Google has spent the last year evolving from a search engine to a giant media corporation. At birth Google was worried about only one thing, search - and that focus is why it bec...(related: Seo)
Gaining Link Popularity Techniques
Link popularity is very important these days for all websites since most major search engines look at link popularity has a tool for ranking your site in there search results as well as the quality of your websites content keyword wise. Link popularity is a great way to gaining targeted visitors to your website. This article is going to show you easy and free and effective ways to increase your websites link popularity....(related: Seo)
Seo Tips - Google Has Changed - Learn Why And What To Do
Google now checks the year your domain name was first registered.This just makes sense. Those that care about their domain and their brand will register their domain for a long time. This demonstrates commitment. Of course it's not very hard for a spammer to do the same but the upfront costs are just that little bit higher and might help act as a deterrent. If anything a short ...(related: Seo)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | You can send your articles and get links. Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved.
| Seo