Entries Tagged 'Title tags' ↓

Getting people to visit your website is just the first step. Once you get them there, your website has to convert them – i.e. convince them to take an action (sign up for a newsletter, buy, register for an event, download a report etc.).

There are some simple checks you can perform on your website to make sure you have the best possible chance of pulling off a conversion.

1. Title tags and META descriptions

Title tags and META descriptions are important because they are the first impression a searcher will get of your website. Not only that, but the title tag is the piece of code that lets the search engines know what your website is about to make sure it appears in the relevant search results.

When a search term is typed into the search engine and your website is listed, these must tell the searcher that your website is the one they’re looking for. That’s why its imperative these are keyword rich and use words that will make the searcher click on your link.

Every page of your website must have unique title tags and META descriptions and, as emphasis is placed on the first words, make sure that’s where your primary keywords are.

They should also be short – title tags no more than 65 characters and the META description no more than about 150. But above all, it’s important to remember both of these must appeal to a real person.

2. Headlines

Once the searcher has clicked on your listing the next thing that comes into play is your page headline.

Think about what the reader wants to know and make sure all your headlines and sub headings are useful to the reader, give a sense of urgency, convey benefits and are very specific. On top of all that, they should also include the primary keyword for your page, but again, make sure it’s written in a proper sentence that makes sense to the reader.

As soon as they arrive in your web page, the headline should tell them exactly what that page is about.

3. Call to action

A web page is useless without a call to action.

This is a button, link or sentence that tells the reader what you want them to do next:

• Buy now
• Download the report
• Register for the event
• Call us now

Each of these pushes your visitor further into your sales process. If your call to action involves them completing a form make sure it is easy to complete, the last thing you want to do is lose them at the last hurdle because your form or sign up process is unclear or overly complicated.

These 3 very simple tips will help you boost your conversion rates.

Take a look at every page of your website and see if they tick all the boxes. If not, you’ve got some work to do.

Sally Ormond – Copywriter, Twitter, Google+

Of all the aspects of search engine optimisation, the importance of the title tag has remained constant and yet it is all too often overlooked.

This simple line of code packs a mighty punch because it:

• Highlights to Google and the other search engines the relevance of your website in relation to a keyword
• Makes you stand out from everyone else
• Attracts potential customers to your website

In fact it is one of the single most important ranking factors.

For those who are new to all this stuff, let’s take a step back.

Where is your title tag?

As I mentioned earlier, your title tag is a simple line of code.

It sits near the top of your web page’s source code and looks something like this:

<title>Copywriter | freelance copywriter | copywriting services<title>

(That’s one of mine that I’ve used as an example.)

Every page of your website should have its own unique title tag.

Why?

Because every page of your website is indexed by the search engines, not your website as a whole. So by using different title tags for each page you increase your chances of being found in the search results for a range of different keywords.

Now that doesn’t mean to say you’ll instantly appear at the top of Google, the rest of your web page also has to be optimised too, but getting your title tag correct is a step in the right direction.

How do you write it?

Before you allow your creativity to run away with you, Google only allows up to a maximum of 70 characters for your title tag, so you don’t have a lot of room to play with.

It’s important to use your keywords, but make sure your tag is meaningful, especially when selling a product.

For example if you’re selling designer dog collars, make sure that goes in your title tag, if there’s room why not add a price too?

If local search is important to your business adding in your location will also be of benefit. As for your company name, it’s not essential it’s there, but if you’re a well-known brand or your company name is synonymous with the product you’re selling, it would be good to include it.

Your title tag is basically a signpost telling Google what your page is about and the content of your site should back that up with relevant, high quality writing. Working together they will help your website become more visible in the search results.

When it comes to SEO, your page title is everything.

It is probably the most important search engine optimisation factor as it exists to help the search engine understand what your page is all about. And if it understands that, you’ll appear in the right search engine results pages.

But many people confuse their page title and their post title.

Your post title is exactly that, the name you have given to your blog post. Your page title is usually auto generated and therefore tends to be the same as your post title.

But the key to optimising your SEO is to make these different. Many platforms, such as Word Press, allow you to easily alter your page title to something that will carry more SEO weight.

What does that mean?

Well, to make sure your post comes up in relevant search engine results make sure you include your keywords in the first half of your page title. You will only have 65 characters to play with so make sure you make every one count by creating a page title that is meaningful.

This is something that should be done for any website, not just a blog.

But select your keywords carefully – don’t cram them all into your page title because that won’t make sense. Use the word(s) that’s most relevant to that page and then create something that answers the searchers question.

So, for example, if they were searching for a site to help with dog behavioural problems, a site with a title such as “Dog Behavioural Problems – Advice and training videos” will show that that website probably has the answer they are looking for.

Another common mistake is to repeat the page title in the META Description. Remember your page title is for SEO; your META Description is there to attract the click-through. It should convince the searcher that your site is the one that will help them so make sure it is meaningful.

Getting your page titles (or title tags) right is vital for a successful SEO campaign. After all, if you don’t clearly tell the search engines what your website is about, how can it list you in the appropriate search results?

Open a new page in your browser and open your website or blog. What is your page title? Is it really working as hard as it can?

This simple change really can make a huge different in your website’s effectiveness.

Author: Sally Ormond, professional freelance copywriter with Briar Copywriting.