Search Engine Optimization - Appropriately Utilizing Title Tags

When optimizing your Website for high search engine rankings, targeted search engines such as Google and Bing, the first step is writing keyword driven title tags. The title tag is the title on the top left of your browser window. Search engines place a lot of importance on these titles when ranking your Web site. Many Internet sites utilize the company name or the name of that Web page as the page title which is typically a error if you want to rank that Webpage for targeted keyword phrases. Even if you do not execute any other types of optimization in your WebPages, keyword driven title tags will help you rank your Website in a higher position. The title tag serves two purposes in relation to search engines. When a searcher searches key phrases that are in your title tag you will rank higher for those search phrases. Google’s number one focus is to provide the searcher appropriate Web sites to choose from that is most closely related to their search. Google assumes your title tag describes the Webpage and uses that information in deciding where to rank that Webpage. The clickable title of your search engine listing is your title tag for that page. Unless you’re a known brand your business name serves no purpose here. It is better to display text that is closely related to the searcher. For example if someone is searching for a Advertising Company in Philadelphia, a Web site with a title of Philadelphia Advertising Agency or Advertising Agency in Philadelphia is much more relevant to the searcher then J & J Marketing Agency and will increase the chance of your website being visited from that search. Title Tag Best Practices: - Investigate your keywords and make sure these are search terms that people are searching. - Try to be somewhat specific in the keywords and phrases you target, very general keywords and phrases are very competitive. For example instead of targeting the keyword “lawyer”, target “Philadelphia bankruptcy lawyer”. By targeting that phrase you are actually targeting four searchable phrases in one shot; “Philadelphia bankruptcy lawyer”, “bankruptcy lawyer”, “Philadelphia lawyer” and “lawyer”. - If possible utilize the most important keyword words two times in the title but no more than twice. For example “ Philadelphia Advertising Company - Marketing Company in Philadelphia” - Limit your title tag to 70 or fewer characters, including spaces. If you go over the 70 character limit it won’t hurt your rankings but only the first 70 characters are displayed on Google’s search results. Also it is possible that characters after the seventy character limit will carry less importance in your ranking. - Capitalize the first letter of each word. - Instead of using the word “and” (takes up space) you can use a “-“ or “|”. Instead of “Serving Philadelphia and Delaware” you can use “Serving Philadelphia | Delaware”. - Google puts more weight on the left most words of the title tag. - Your title tag should be focused on the content of that Webpage. If the Webpage describes a bankruptcy lawyer then bankruptcy lawyer should be in the title and not divorce lawyer. Keep in mind that by properly writing your title tags does not mean you will magically appear at the top of Google rankings for many targeted keyword phrases. In some cases, typically non competitive keyword phrases, this will give you a major boost in your rankings. To be truly successful you need keyword dense web page copy and a link building strategy among other factors in addition to targeted keyword driven titles.