In the search engine optimization world, rankings are everything. Everyone wants to be number one. They want to be on top. Well, it turns out the elements used by SEO experts to optimize websites are also ranked. When it comes time to rank a website, Google and other search engines leverage certain SEO elements more than others. So what element takes the number one spot? Title tags. Sure enough, title tags are the single most important on-page SEO element.
So read closely my friends, as you are about to learn the anatomy of a perfectly optimized title.
LENGTH OF TITLE TAG
- Be sure the length of your title tag is 70 characters or less. Any longer than 70 characters and your title will be cut off in all Google results. This leaves your potential customers hanging high and dry, with incomplete information. Also, remember that spaces and punctuation count as characters, too. A comma utilizes 2 characters, while dashes and line breaks use 3 characters.
- If you need a quick and easy way to check your title length, copy it into excel and use the formula =len(x). This will count the characters for you. Quick, easy, and extremely valuable.
ORGANIZATION OF THE TITLE TAG
- The title should consist of three distinct phases, which need to be organized in a particular way.
- The first section is where you need to put your keyword. This is the word you are trying to optimize your site for. It should always come first. No questions.
- The second section should contain a unique or descriptive phrase that helps build upon the first section. This might be a secondary keyword or just a phrase you feel your audience needs to see in order to better understand the page content.
- The final section of the title needs to be your brand name. This is key. This portion of the title gives your website more legitimacy and builds your brand.
KEYWORD USAGE WITHIN THE TITLE
Seeing as the title is the most important on-page SEO element, you definitely want to use your keyword within it. However, there is such a thing as overusing and abusing your keyword. We refer to this as keyword stuffing. So how do you effectively use your keyword without overusing it?
- Never repeat your keyword in a title more than twice. When you do decide to repeat it, do not do it sequentially, one right after the other. This looks spammy. Instead, put the word once at the beginning of the first section and once at the end of the second section.
- Use the keyword in a truly informative and descriptive way. Don’t just throw it into the title because you need to use it. Take the time to really create a meaningful title. It will pay off.
So there you have it, the anatomy of a perfectly optimized title. If you take the time to follow these steps, you are bound to have success in title writing. It is not hard to do, but it does take some time and effort. So go ahead, put these steps to the test. You won’t be sorry!
