High-level SEO strategy is crucial, but so are the details. One key detail is the title tag, an essential on-page element for page optimization. While optimizing the title tag alone may not significantly change rankings, it builds crucial context and subject-matter relevance when used with other on-page elements.
Beyond SEO, title tags impact clickthrough rates, compelling your target audience to visit your site. When search engines use your title tag as the blue link in the search results, it can make or break a searcher’s decision to click through.
This guide covers eight best practices for incorporating a solid, optimized title tag plan into your SEO strategy.
What Is A Title Tag?
A title tag is an HTML tag in the head section of each webpage, providing an initial cue about the page’s subject matter. It prominently appears in search engine results pages (SERPs) as the clickable link and in the browser window. Despite its lesser visibility compared to body content, image content, and other on-page elements, it plays a critical role in SEO.
On its own, the title tag has limited impact on organic rankings. No single ranking factor is magical or powerful, especially if your content is low-quality or you’ve neglected technical SEO. Here are eight crucial aspects to consider when optimizing your title tags for search.
1. The Page’s Context Within The Site
Understanding where the page fits into the website’s overall hierarchy is crucial before writing an optimized title tag. The home page title tag will differ significantly from a blog post or product page. For websites with many pages, creating unique tags can be challenging. Thus, mapping out your site and understanding the context of each page is essential.
Each page deeper into the site should have more specific title tags. Repeating words and phrases is acceptable but should be more detailed as you go deeper into the site. Avoid duplicate tags across pages.
Example:
- Home Page: Groomsmen gifts and unique men’s gifts by The Man Registry.
- Product Category Page: BBQ sets and utensil gifts for groomsmen by The Man Registry.
- Product Page: 5-Piece Customized BBQ utensil set by The Man Registry.
2. Searcher Intent Keyword Use
Knowing what your audience is searching for and how they are searching is critical for title tag optimization. If you don’t understand the words and phrases people use when searching, you risk guessing wrong. Conduct thorough keyword research to avoid missing out on potential traffic.
Incorporate keywords that match the searcher’s intent and the focus of your page’s content. This balance ensures natural and effective communication with your audience.
3. Topical Relevance Within The Page
Evaluate the content on the page to ensure the title tag introduces the topic effectively. The title tag is most impactful when the same important keywords are used in the body copy, image alt attributes, meta description, URL, and other page aspects.
Avoid using unrelated words, terms, or phrases in the title tag, as Google can ignore irrelevant tags. Ensure the title tag ties the topic together by using words also present in other parts of the page.
4. Unique Tags
Duplicate title tags are unhelpful to searchers and search engines. Duplicate tags can lead search engines to ignore your title tag and use other content from your page for the blue link text in the SERP.
When multiple pages have the same tag, those tags are useless to the search engine if they are generic or just list the company name. Google often substitutes page content for the blue link content in search results for pages with duplicate, improperly formatted, or missing tags.
Use tools like Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, or on-page auditors like Screaming Frog to identify and rectify duplicate tags.
5. Use Dynamic Options When Possible
For large websites or those with dynamic data, semantically coding your tags is essential. Content management systems and website platforms can automatically generate title tags, but customizing them at scale ensures uniqueness and relevance.
For example, a dynamic structure could include standard text in all product page tags with specific product names populated from the database. This method scales efficiently without manual management of hundreds or thousands of tags. However, regular audits are necessary to ensure the tags render as intended.
6. Call To Action In SERP
The title tag appears as the text in the blue link on the SERPs, impacting the searcher’s decision to click through. Focus on answering the searcher’s question, need, or desire. A clear vision of your page’s content and desired outcomes is critical.
Consider how the title truncates and what will appear on the SERPs. Important words and phrases should appear early in the title tag to maximize visibility and relevance.
Example:
- Standard: Groomsmen gifts and unique men’s gifts by The Man Registry.
- Optimized: Shop the best groomsmen & unique men’s gifts at The Man Registry.
7. Don’t Try Too Hard
Avoid repetitive and spammy-looking titles. The search engines focus on context rather than literal keyword use, frequency, and density. Choose words relevant to the topic of the page and the searcher’s intent without overloading the title tag with keywords.
8. Keep The Title Tag’s Impact In Perspective
While optimizing title tags is essential, don’t overemphasize their impact alone. Holistic search optimization is crucial. Title tag optimization is often just the start. Until you reach the top of the SERPs, avoid hyper-focusing on minor changes in the language used for small ranking adjustments.
Conclusion
SEO encompasses various elements, from technical to on-page to links and more. While no single element will make or break a strategy, title tags are vital within the overall mix. Following these eight best practices helps optimize and scale efforts, contributing to better hierarchy and context for your website.
Always keep the searcher and your audience in mind. Balance incorporating important keywords with matching the intent for the topic. Include the title tag in your optimization plan, understand its role in attracting click-throughs, and strive to best optimize it for your content and needs.
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