Every brand today wants to up their online presence! SEO is the only way to go ahead of your competitors digitally. Over the years, established companies and small-scale business firms have deployed various SEO tactics to gain online visibility, increase the customer base, attain increased ROI, and many more. One of the crucial SEO tactics is “Title Tags.”
Did you ever use SEO title tags? Did it prove beneficial for you? Chances are you will answer yes to both the questions, as it is an integral part of SEO. However, given the present-day SEO and Google changes, does the title tag still hold relevance? The answer is yes. SEO experts and professionals have done their studies and research to conclude on the significance of title tags. And few studies highlight that when people made changes in the title tags, they saw visible improvement in the search rankings.
Sometimes, people overlook an important part of title tags. It is the tag’s click-through rate and which can maximize the web traffic when you have the correct title tag. The web traffic gained via more clicks might increase your search rankings under specific situations. Hence, here you can benefit in two ways. That’s what most business owners want to focus on today, i.e., maximizing the search rankings and traffic by altering the very first thing which an online user sees in SERPs. If you want to know more about this, it is essential to consult with a SEO expert.
The useful tactics to count on
It’s essential to know one important thing about SEO title tags – i.e., you can experiment with it. Also, remember that not every experimenting tactic will bring the best outcomes. SEO is all about the best practices. However, you attain real success when you can experiment with new elements and learn how to make them work in your favor. You can check out the three smart hacks for making your SEO title tags work in your favor.
- Consider the numbers
Numbers are always visible! For instance, titles like “5 signs of depression” or “How to save 20% on Halloween costumes”, are visible especially for the numbers in the titles. These titles have something called a “Cognitive Bias,” and they stand out from the generic titles. The moment you see one such title in SERPs, they catch your attention more. Naturally, the click-through rates are more.
Simply put, our brains have been hardwired in a way to look for things specific and which stand-out. When you are doing an eye-ball scan of the search outcomes, you are browsing through essential data. Hence, your brain is engaged in finding out a website or source that is not common. The moment you see a number in a title tag, your brain does the calculation. You know that when you click on a title that says,
“7 easy ways to cure depression” you can get more smart tips to curb depression, than a title that says, “How working adults are healing themselves from depression?” Numbers will maximize the click-through rates and increase the rankings as well.
1. Consider the length
This factor incites some controversy and mixed reactions, especially when an SEO professional is conducting an SEO audit and checking the title tags. Two things are evident during an audit. Either the title tags are too short, or they are too long. It is because SEO’s usually want to add in every keyword they wish in the title tag. You need to resort to the following two tactics:
- 50 to 60 characters – It is essential to keep the title tags between 50 and 60 characters. It is considered to be the optimal length.
- Target the best keywords – As you decide which keywords you want to use when you edit the long-keywords, make sure to use the keywords which your customers are already using. That way, you can adhere to the required title tag length and also use the best keyword, which is user-relevant.
For instance, if you are targeting the term, “Pantsuit,” you can check Google Search Console. Here you will find people searching for the term and can create a keyword that adheres to the parameters. When you create the best tag, you will get increased rankings.
2. Synonyms and other variants
We can take the previous example to explain this. Sometimes, your SEO professional might use the word “Pantsuits” in the keyword. It might be beneficial for you in particular situations. However, it is essential to realize that you might not be aware of the way your “users” or “searchers” are doing their search.
For instance, you are doing keyword research, and one of your primary keywords is “cheap cabs.” You want to optimize for low-priced taxis. However, your users can be searching in multiple ways. They could be using terms like “affordable taxis,” “cheap taxis,” “low-cost cabs,” and many more.
Hence, it is crucial that you resort to all these variants. You can research and select the keywords that you can add in the title tag. You could also use title tags like, “Affordable, fast cabs” or “Cheap cab ride” and many more. You can keep the character limit between 50 and 60 characters. If these variants work for you, chances are your keyword will get increased ranking.
Checking the SERPs is a smart way to search for variants and synonyms. Simply type the keyword in the SERP in Google, and you can find the options highlighted in search results. You can find the best variants from here. Other tools like Google Search Console and Keyword Explorer are also useful.
Dates are also essential inclusions that can add an interesting tweak in your title tags. It also works on cognitive bias and makes people click on the tile. You should also use a smart CTA (Calls to Action) and always select the top-notch keyword in your title tags. Sometimes, adding a question in the title tag also helps. There are many other ways you can experiment with title tags. However, make sure you are consulting your SEO agency as you implement the changes. It will save you from any mistakes which can cause the ranking to drop.