Meta titles are that part of an SEO’s process that is tricky to get right. Only the most experienced experts can get accuracy when it comes to meta titles. Let’s first see what it means in simple terms.
A meta title is a by-line written as the search tag for a webpage. It is separate from a page header or headline in the sense that meta title appears the same for both the viewer who browses through the search results page (as a link) and for the search engine while it undergoes its crawling and searching operations. A good meta title is one that appeals to both the searcher as well as the search engine- having a combination of sensible keywords, as well as a flowy language.
Common Mistakes:
Although the significance of meta titles is known to all SEO companies and related professionals, they are the hardest to master because of their demand for the crucial balance between robot and human appeal. Language and how you use it, plays a big part in the success of the meta titles. You cannot consider only the search engine results page while creating them, nor you can disregard the search engine algorithm entirely. You will have to aim to strike a balance between the two aspects.
A few common mistakes you should avoid while creating your meta titles are as follows.
- Avoid repetition in keywords for all webpages of the website in the meta title
- Avoid using extra long-tailed keywords for your meta titles
- Do not omit meta titles altogether; not having a meta title is a serious handicap for any webpage or website.
- Avoid having a meta title that does not relate to your website/webpage’s content
- Avoid similar meta titles for all your webpages of the website.
- Avoid repetition of meta description- related words in your meta titles.
Search engine giants like Google flag meta titles and descriptions that are repetitive, wordy or irrelevant. Make sure you avoid these three follies when you are creating your meta titles.
Now that you know what NOT TO DO, let us take a look at what you SHOULD DO.
Some hallmarks of exceptional meta titles are as follows.
- A good meta title is precise and specific.
E.g. “Five-minute recipe for devilled eggs.”
- A good meta title is not too long.
E.g. “Tips for a college essay.”
- A good meta title speaks facts.
E.g. “Top 20 leaders of 2021”
Always remember to make use of keyword density and selection tools, if you want to sharpen your meta title and make it more relevant for SEO.
Kinex Media, a leading web design Toronto company suggests that search engines love meta titles that speak volumes without being too repetitive or mundane. If you have to, repeat the keyword no more than twice. Avoid using punctuation, wherever possible. When you write your meta title, always ask yourself- “Will it make sense to a person who knows nothing about the webpage?”, “Will he/she be able to understand what the website has?” and “Will the webpage be visible to search engine with the keywords that I’ve used?” You will be surprised to see how this checklist works.
