Don't underestimate the importance of title tags

When compared to some of the bigger and brighter elements of your website, title tags may seem pretty insignificant. But don't let yourself be fooled.

Your page title tag will appear in the search results for your page, at the top of people's browsers and in social shares – still think you can afford to ignore it?

A small tag with a big responsibility

The title tag is essentially the piece of information that explains the purpose of any online document. A good tag will tell search engines – and humans – what to expect on your page, so it needs to be as accurate and descriptive as possible.

Your title tags will be used as:

• The clickable text in a search engine results.
• The headline to Google ads.
• The text at the top of a browser and in tabs.
• Anchor text on external websites, including social sites.

Crafting the perfect tags

To make sure your tags display correctly and include the kind of information that will work for search engines and people alike, there are a few rules to follow.

• Keep it brief: The recommended length for the optimum title tag is between 50-60 characters. If you go over, you risk having your tag cut short in your search results. However, if it's a page that you hope will get a lot of social shares but is unlikely to rank highly in search results, it may be worth going over the length to create a compelling tag.
• Place keywords wisely: The keywords in your title tag will be used by search engines to rank your pages – placing them at the beginning of the tag tends to yield the best results.
• Leverage your brand: You may also want to use your brand name in your title tag, typically at the end. This works especially well if you are a well-known or trusted brand.
• Look for unique angles: Every page on your website should have its own unique purpose, and you want to ensure your title tags reflect that. Avoid duplicating content.
• Strive for readability: Keywords and brand placement are important, but not as important as making sure your title tag is readable. Few people will be tempted to click on a string of keywords.

Adding title tags

If you're already a Bloomtools client, adding title tags to your website is very easy. When you edit one of your pages, you'll see there's a field just below the main body of content that allows you to simply type in your preferred page title tag. 

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