The Importance of Page Titles and Headlines

Among page specific Header Section SEO elements, the Title is one of the most important. Each of the following points should be considered when creating page titles and article headlines.

  • Separate the Title from the H1 tag. Often times the Title will be uniformly established to exactly match the Page Title / H1. However, it is best if these items are decoupled.

  • The Title is what Google will use as the bold blue link that appears across the top of your listing on their Search Engine Result Pages. This is a strong indicator to Google what the page is relevant to and it is the primary information that a search engine user will use to determine if they want to click on your page.

  • There is a 512 pixel limit for titles in Google’s organic search results. Therefore, the actual number of characters can vary based on the number of skinny or wide characters. On average 57 characters is the max, and if the Title of your page goes over that character limit, Google has an algorithm that can actually create a title of their choosing. At this point you lose control over the user experience, call to action and optimization.

  • As a critical SEO attribute it is important to follow the following formula when creating page Titles 

    <title>Keyword 1, Call To Action / Compelling Statement or Question</title>


  • Note: There is also a Meta Title element that can be used. However, you should not use both a “Title” and a “Meta Title”. If your page is going to use the Meta Title element, it should be formatted as: 

    • <meta name=”title” content=” Keyword 1, Call To Action / Compelling Statement or Question”>


  • The title is the biggest reason someone is going to choose to click on your listing in search engine results. While you absolutely must utilize the main keyword that you are targeting in the page title in order to help you rank for the keyword you are targeting, and it is preferable if you use that keyword at the beginning of the title, there are a few other considerations that go into the art of great title writing.
    • Be specific, the more specific the better.
    • Offer a specific benefit to the reader.
    • Indicate a specific audience.
    • Be authoritative.
    • Create curiosity.
    • Be emotional.
    • Utilize the senses.
    • Create urgency.
    • Create controversy.
    • Differentiate from competing titles.
    • Use as many of these techniques as possible within the pixel limit.

Headline Formulas That Work!

If you are like most writers the idea of formula writing may make you throw up in your mouth... just a little. However, the fact is that the following headlines work. They haven't just worked once or twice. They continuously work. What does that mean? It means that articles and blogs that use these formulas consistently get more clicks, more visitors and deeper engagement than articles with titles that do not use these formulas. The goal here is to get creative within these formulas. Use these ideas to quickly connect with more people. There are actually some very deep and important psychological reasons why these headline formulas work so well... but this isn't a course in psychology. Just go ahead and give some of these headlines a try and compare them. If given a real shot, these headlines will perform very well for you... they always do.

  1. (Number) Lessons I Learned From _____
  2. The Ultimate Guide To _____
  3. How To Survive Your First _____
  4. What (Group or Celebrity) Can Teach You About (Industry)
  5. Behind The Scenes Of A _____
  6. 9 Out Of 10 (Group Members) Can't / Don't _____. Are You One Of Them?
  7. Make Your First (Dollar Amount) Sale In Just (Time)! (Watch Below To See How!)
  8. Are You Still Wasting Money On _____ (Without Anything To Show For It?)
  9. People Regularly Pay Me Dollar Amount For _____, But You Can Have It FREE:
  10. How To Make (Dollar Amount) Step-by-Step.
  11. How To Permanently Stop Your _____, Even If You've Tried Everything!
  12. Is (Subject) A Scam? Find Out If You're Putting Yourself At Risk.
  13. How Your _____ Is Ripping You Off - And What To Do To Stop It.
  14. Recently Downsized / Fired Profession Reveals The Dirty Little Secrets To _____.
  15. (Number) Little Know Facts That Could Affect Your _____.
  16. (Number) Lies About _____: Believe Them At Your Own Risk.
  17. This (Specific Type Of Person) Was Just Trying To _____, What Happened Next Will Shock You
  18. 10 Money/Time Saving Tips for ______
  19. The Secret of Getting the Best Price for Your _______
  20. Top 10 Tips For Hassle Free ______
  21. What ____ Really Want, And How You Can Give It To Them!
  22. (Number) Predictions on the Future of ____
  23. (Number) _____ That Are Going To Disappear Forever
  24. How to Beat the Fear of _____
  25. Outrageous _____ and How they Could Impact You
  26. (Number) Reasons Not to _____
  27. How to Spot a Fake ______
  28. (Number) Reasons it's Better to ______
  29. How to be a _____, And _____ More Than You Ever Thought Possible
  30. The World’s Most Unusual _____
  31. (Number) Secrets _____ Doesn't Want You To Know
    32.


The Importance of Page Titles and Article Headlines

Cannot Be Overstated!


Next In the next lesson we will go over the considerations for