Search engine optimization is about making sure that your page content and features rank high in the search engines so that people find it easy to find what they want quickly and efficiently.
And, among the most important ranking factor; the Title tag is one of them.
To understand title tags and what they do in the search engines, we must know about how Google determines the pages that try to rank well for their keywords.
In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about SEO Title tags and if it is a ranking factor.
What is Title Tag?
A title tag is an HTML tag that appears on the title of a web page, at the very beginning. It is used to describe what you are about and get readers to click through on that particular web page.
In other words, a title tag is in the form of an HTML tag or element that is found on the HTML code of your web page.
The purpose of SEO title tags is two-fold: firstly, it helps Google know what your website content is all about.
Secondly, it helps Google understand what your website is about so they can give you better rankings and improve the ranking of your website in their search results.
The purpose of SEO title tags is two-fold:
(1) It helps Google know what your website content is all about to display it in their search engine results pages (SERPs).
(2) It helps Google understand what your website is about to give you better rankings and improve the ranking of your website in their search results.
The titles appear as the blue text that people click on to navigate to your page in search results. They also show up at the top of the search result tabs.
What is the role of a title tag?
Title tags are used to help Google understand what your website is about.
If you have had a product or service around for many years, then the title tag will be crucial in helping Google and other search engines know what it is.
If you have a product or service that’s been around for many years, then the title tag will be important in helping Google and other search engines know what it is.
For example, if you own an online store selling clothes and accessories like jewellery or handbags, then your title tag would read: “Jewellery & Handbag Store ”.
The Search Engines also use title tags to show preview snippets for a page.
The title tag is also essential for SEO because it’s the first thing people see when searching on Google.
How long should title tags be?
While there is no statement from Google regarding the recommended title length, it displays the length of 55-60 characters. Anything more than that would cut off your title length with an ellipsis.
This way, the searchers can't see the whole title. Google can display a title tag up to 600 pixels.
If the title length is less than 50 characters width, the entire title tag would be displayed along with the site name.
Why are title tags important to SEO?
Title tags are important to SEO because they help Google and other search engines understand what your website is about.
They also help users find the right page by making it easier for them to find a specific topic on your site.
Title tags can also be used as a way of targeting keywords in different ways, so you’ll have more accurate results from those searches.
In addition to this, title tags are also used by search engine algorithms to decide the order in which to view page listings.
You can use the title tags in three ways efficiently:
- Search engine results.
- Web browsers
- Social media networks.
Title tags in SERPs
A listing in Google’s SERPs has a maximum of 600 pixel width.
SEO for title tags is a complicated subject and it involves many factors.
Your title tag is the searcher's first impression they get about your web page. A good title can have a huge impact on your rankings.
Title tags are most important for the search engines to decide how they show your page in SERPs.
You can have great content, but if you don't have a good title tag then it's not going to help you rank well in SERPs.
The importance of having an optimized title is paramount when it comes to ranking well on Google or any other search engine because that is what will be shown to users when they search for your keywords.
SEO for title tags is all about creating content that will draw in the attention of potential visitors, and provide them with what they are looking for.
As an SEO, you need to ensure that each page has a well-written title tag that contains keywords relevant to the page topic.
Title tags in web browsers
Title tags appear on the web browser tabs when users visit these pages. These are also called the placeholders and the unique title ensures that your page is easily recognizable.
Most brand marketers suggest using their brand's name at the end of the title. For example, Neil Patel uses his brand name at the end of the title tag.
Title tags on social networks
Title tags are also shown when the user shares the post on social media like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. However, the title may vary due to the meta tags that use different titles than the HTML title tag of the page.
Your CMS platform uses the metadata (open graph) to generate the social media titles for your blog. Thus, in some cases, the social media posts and blog posts may have different titles.
Title tag vs H1 tag: Is the Page title same as Meta title?
The title tag and the meta title are two different things. Meta Title is displayed on top of all the pages of a website, whereas page title is only displayed for the current page.
The meta title is what the searchers view on the search engine results page, the page title tag is the heading of the content.
Most SEOs recommend h1 tags for the page title.
The similarity between them is that both of these must have the main keyword at the beginning of your title for better search visibility.
4 steps to create an SEO-friendly title tag
Title tags are important for search engine optimization and the user experience. They can be done easily, so they are a good low-effort way to improve the SEO and UX of websites.
With the optimized title tag, you can turn the tables to yourself and get closer to the number one search spot.
However, there are a few essential tips to follow to create an optimized and SEO-friendly title tag.
Create an original title
Title tags are important for search engine optimization and the user experience. They can be done easily, so they are a good low-effort way to improve the SEO and UX of websites.
With the optimized title tag, you can turn the tables to yourself and get closer to the number one search spot.
However, there are a few essential tips to follow to create an optimized and SEO-friendly title tag.
Insert the main keywords
Using the recognizable terms in your title tag will help search engines understand what your business is about. For example, if you sell luxury products like watches and jewellery, the title tag should contain words like "watches" or "jewellery".
Using these keywords will make it easier for the search engine to find you in their results.
The best practice is to start your title tag with the words that are in your central keywords.
You can also use the long-tail or related keywords in the title tag to find customers interested in a particular subject.
They will all be related and will all have 3 or more words, so choose those three words as your long-tail keywords to target the most specific group of people who might be interested in that topic.
But, yes keyword stuffing is not what we recommend for your title tags. Different Keywords or keyword-stuffed title tags would unwillingly hurt the user experience and eventually your page SEO.
For example, Buy shoes, shoes buy online, shoes black Friday sale.
For this purpose, you can use the Blog title creator tool from Scalenut. We used the keyword phrase 'SEO tricks and tips', for instance.
Here are the curated results:
You can cut short the title length to 55-60 characters here and adjust the way you want.
Include some long-tail phrases
Most SEOs are of the opinion that the primary keyword alone is not enough for the title tag of your webpage.
Adding a few variations of long-tail keywords will make some sense here. Because longtail keywords have some search volume and decent competition.
Let's say; the main keyword is- 'SEO tips'.
Now, you can look for some long-tail variations from Google autocomplete or tools like Ahrefs to find the relevant keywords.
If you are looking for a guide on finding the long-tail keywords, read here.
Add a hook
Your title tag should represent the full content in just a few characters. The purpose of the title tag is to get people's attention and entice them to click on your website.
So, try to hook your potential customers with a phrase that describes what they can find in your article or post.
You need a compelling message or eye-catching features to make people want to click on your website. Furthermore, you can use emotion to hook people and get them interested in your product. This way, they will want to read and know more about the product.
Do not ignore the numbers in your titles. These are most viable in the list articles or the numbered articles such as the roundups.
Apart from this, some power words like 'Best', 'Crucial' or the use of relevant adjectives would do the trick for you. This is a great strategy to avoid creating generic titles and use something interesting.
For example, here are some of the best titles suggestion for the keyword 'chicken broth soup'.
Promote your brand especially
The title tag is the most important part of your article or post, which can be used to promote your brand. It is an excellent place on your webpage to display your brand name and improve brand awareness.
You can do this by adding your company name or logo to the title tag of your article. This is also a great way to build trust and authority on your website.
It is reasonable to emphasize your business’ name in titles because people naturally trust companies that they already know and like.
Write for your customers
A title tag can be used to express your business’ message and let the customers know what they are getting.
It is important that you write for your customer or target audience so that it matches their expectations.
For example, if you are writing a blog post about new weight loss supplements, then you should use the title tag that is very relevant to your blog post.
In organic search, the title tag is a visitor's first interaction with your brand. It should make them feel good and give them the most accurate information possible.
Why is Google rewriting my title?
Title tags are an important HTML element of your page, which is used to rank in search engines.
Sometimes, Google makes a change to the title tag of a page and shows that it is better or more relevant than what was already there.
Sometimes Google may rewrite the title tag of a webpage and write its own title.
Now, this may happen due to several reasons:
Your title is keyword-stuffed
If you put too many keywords in your title tag, Google will automatically assume that the content of your page is spam and will not be considered for the ranking.
The same thing happens when your titles are over-optimized. This means that they are very long and hard to read.
Keyword stuffing is a common mistake that Google’s algorithm uses to filter out the content of your page.
You have a bad title
The purpose of the title tag is to catch Google’s attention and show it what your page is about. If you have a boring or a short title, the searchers will not even bother reading your post.
You should always think about the purpose of your title tag and try to keep it simple, catchy, and descriptive.
The title tag does not match your content
The page may have some relevant information, but the title tags do not include any of it.
There are also other reasons why Google may not be able to read your title tag, such as:
Google might use either your original title or a new one depending on what they think is more important from the content for the users. So, rewriting by Google isn't always a bad thing to do.
It doesn't match with the search queries
Sometimes a poor title doesn't match with search queries, meaning that searchers may not be able to find your page from the site.
Google takes into account what it thinks many people will be coming across Google searching for particular keywords. If you have a short tag with an excessive number of characters, searchers might easily overlook it and any potential good content.
Writing Title tag using Scalenut Title Tag Generator
Scalenut AI Writer offers various templates for writing the page elements or meta tags. If you are looking to create a compelling blog title, here is how to do:
- Log in to the Scalenut Dashboard.
- Navigate to AI Templates find the Blog Title Creator and click on it.
- In the box, enter the main keyword or various keywords that you want to target. In the example below, the main keyword is- 'Green tea benefits '.
Use commas to separate the keywords if you want to target more than one.
- Click on Generate to get the results. You can get more results by clicking on Generate More.
Similarly, you can also create compelling meta descriptions for your blog posts. Read our post on How to create a meta description to boost conversion rates.
Conclusion
The title tag is one of the most important elements of your website. It’s vital that you use it to its full potential. If you don’t, then it can have a negative impact on your site’s performance and ranking in search engines.
If you want to get the most out of your website, you need to have an effective title tag.
Try the Scalenut Blog Title Generator and save your time and efforts now!
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