Increase your Click-Throughs With Killer Title Tags
As you probably know, the majority of engines place considerable
relevance on the HTML title tag, making it generally the most
important tag on your page.
You also probably know that title tags appear in the search
results for most of the major engines, making the tags even more
important. But, have you ever taken the time to learn how to
create killer title tags, tags that will boost click-throughs, or
traffic, to your site?
To make a point about how important titles are, let's look at some
sample search results. In a search for "low cost life insurance"
in one of the major engines, here are some of the titles from the
top ten results.
- #1 worldwide travel insurance quotes!
- Untitled
- Oklahoma Insurance Quotes Auto Home Health Life Business
Do any of those titles appeal to you? Notice that the first
example has a misspelled word, which doesn't elicit much
confidence in the site. The second example isn't even using a
title tag, which is why it's listed as "untitled." The third
example is simply a listing of capitalized keywords, which isn't
as easy to read.
Now, let's say that the next three titles on the page are:
- Does your low cost life insurance policy give you the
coverage you need?
- Low cost life insurance at a price that's right for you!
- Stop paying too much for "low" cost life insurance!
Would you skip over the first three listed titles to visit one of
the titles above?
My point is, if your title is more effective than sites that are
actually above you in the ranking, you may get the traffic
anyway, simply due to the effectiveness of your title tag.
Furthermore, offering something for free almost always improves
response rates. For example:
- 21 Ways to reduce your life insurance costs for free
Notice how the above title emphasizes a benefit (i.e., saving
money) while mentioning it is FREE. The "21 Ways" quickly defines
what they'll be getting to achieve the benefit.
Top Tips for Creating Killer Titles
Let's look at some tips for creating killer title tags, and then
some mistakes that will cause your site to be passed over in the
search results.
- Use compelling or "charged" words in your titles that will
draw the user in to your site. Examples are: breakthrough,
incredible, how-to, announcing, and revealing. Avoid over-used
words and adjectives.
- Use the power of questions when creating title tags. When you
ask a question, you force the reader to stop and mentally
answer that question, which boosts your chances at a visit to
your site.
- Use your important keyword phrase toward the beginning of your
title tag, but use the phrase in a way that will pull in
traffic.
- Begin the title with a capital letter, and then follow with
all lower-case letters. Why? It's easier to read than titles
with every word capitalized.
- Treat title tags as if they're advertisements for your online
business. Make them short, snappy, and easy to read.
- Write your title in a way that makes the user believe that the
site will solve a problem or help the user in some way.
- Create a sense of urgency in your title tags, when possible.
- Make sure to use a title tag on every page of your site, and
make sure that the title tag is the first tag on your page.
Top Mistakes Made when Creating Titles
- Don't use just a series of keywords in your title tag. It's
unprofessional and difficult to read.
- Don't use complicated words in your title tag, unless those
words are commonplace to whoever would be visiting your site.
- Don't use all caps in your title tag. In other words, don't
yell at your potential visitors!
- Don't slap up a dull and boring title. Spend some time creating
an effective online marketing plug for your site.
- Don't use your keyword phrase more than once in your title tag.
- Don't use your company name in your title tag unless you use
your important keyword phrase as well.
- Don't use yellow page tactics when creating titles in an effort
to get to the top of the rankings. In other words, don't add a
"!!!" or "AAA" to the front of your title to try to get higher
in the alphabetical order. It won't help you with the engines,
and editors at the directories won't allow the tactic anyway.
- Don't use passive verbs like is, was, and has. Try to use
active, exciting verbs like launch, catapult, and unleashes.
In Conclusion . . .
Create your title tags in such a way that they will serve as an
online marketing campaign for your site. Remember that a well-
written and effective title can make up for a lower search engine
ranking.
Spend a lot of time on your title tags, and it ultimately will pay
off for you in renewed traffic to your site.