There is talk on many forums that meta tags are no longer regarded by search engines such as Google.  Rubbish… Let take the meta title. The title that you use for your web pages. They are an important factor for the ranking algorithms of search engines and they are the first thing that web surfers see when they find your website in the search results.

So what does this mean for SEO. The title although heavily influenced by SEO should not just be a keyword strong bunch of words

Depending on which kind of traffic you want to attract, you should use different title formats on your web pages:

 

1. News titles (not so good for Search Engine Optimisation)

 

This kind of title is often used by bloggers and news article promoters. Here are some examples:

1. How at risk is your identity?
2. Recession causes unrest in the city
3. Nominate your hero
4. Jacko King of pop dies

The problem with these titles is that they are not good for search engine optimisation. These titles usually don't contain relevant keywords and they don't look very attractive in the search results.

There won't be many people who will type " Recession causes unrest in the city" in Google's search box so it's not likely that the page will get many visitors through search engines.

 

2. Shopping titles (good for SEO)

 

Shopping titles usually contain a product name that is used by web surfers. If they also contain a call to action, you can get targeted visitors with these titles. Here are some examples:

 

Compaq 6400 10-Inch Black Netbook - 9.5 Hour Battery Life

Compaq 6400 - Buy it now for only £249.95

Buy a Compaq 6400 with extended guarantee

Free shipping: HP Compaq 6400 - £249.95

 

The first shopping title is rather descriptive because it only lists the features. The other titles contain a call to action (buy now), prices and additional benefits (free shipping).

 

People who want to buy a Compaq 6400 probably will click on the title with the call to action while people who are looking for product information might choose the first title.

 

3. Information seeker titles (good for SEO)

 

Information seeker titles won't attract buyers but people who are looking for information about a special topic. Here are some examples:

1. How to lose weight as fast as possible
2. How to repair a broken stool
3. 10 mistakes most parents make when choosing a school
4. How to find the perfect golf course
5. 10 ways to find the perfect partner

These web page titles are good because they will attract visitors over a long time period. People are always looking for "how to" articles and solutions to their problems and you will get long term, constant traffic with these pages.

 

Action plan: how to change your current web page titles

 

Good web page titles can make a huge difference in the number of visitors that your website gets. For that reason, you should check the titles of all web pages of your website now:

 

Make sure that the titles of your web pages are descriptive. It should be clear what to expect on the pages.

 

If possible, add a call to action and benefits in your web page title.

1. Put the most important information at the beginning of the title. Search engines might shorten the title in the search result pages and people might not see the complete text, plus the first characters / words are more highly regarded.
2. If you're not a major brand name, avoid your company name in your web page titles. People wont know who you are so use the character limit wisely
3. Do not use the same title for all of your web pages. This is a mistake that many beginners make and if across many pages and keyword heavy could be construed as an attempt to fool the search engines which may result in penalties

People judge books by their covers and search results by web page titles. If you want to get as many website visitors as possible, you should develop engaging titles for all pages of your site. Build and they will come.