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February 11, 2009

Target Several Keywords Without Stuffing Your Page Title

Ok, so today I am giving my first SEO tip and I made my best to start with something both basic and useful.

Creating a good title is real art. Especially if you need to target several key phrases on one page:

  • You don’t want to stuff the title with your core term repeating it twice (or more);
  • You don’t want to make the title too long.

The solution: match two keyword patterns in one:

[modifier1 keyword] + [keyword modifier2] = [modifier1 keyword modifier2]

Here is an example for you to better understand what I mean, let’s say ‘make-up artists‘ is our core term, then:

[find make-up artist] + [make-up artist portfolios] = [find make-up artist portfolios] which makes our title target three phrases in one:

  • find make-up artist;
  • make-up artist portfolios;
  • find make-up artist portfolios.

So this very simple tactic makes it possible to create a short concise title of the page and at the same time optimize it for more than one key term. Of course, it is not always possible to find patterns like the above one but anyway before choosing the ultimate variant, make sure you thoroughly considered this tactic.

And what tricks for title tag optimization do you use? Please share them in the comments or submit your SEO tip!



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141 comments already

  1. lorenbaker (lorenbaker) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  2. SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu (Please Retweet)

    [Reply]

  3. seosmarty (Ann Smarty) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  4. RT @lorenbaker SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu (Please Retweet)

    [Reply]

    Michelle Reply:

    Thanks, Ann, for your first SEO tip. I look forward to reading more of your tips. Your ideas are always so right on target and I’ve incorporated them into client websites with much success. Thank you!

    Michelle’s last incredible blog post..Social Media Continues to Grow in Popularity

    [Reply]

  5. seosmarty (Ann Smarty) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  6. So my first SEO tip: http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu (stay tuned and you’ll see more every day!)

    [Reply]

    Javier Callón Reply:

    Congratulations for your first SEO tip. I’ll be back here tomorrow for more ;)
    Javier Callón’s last incredible blog post..PHPConference 2008

    [Reply]

  7. MandaOtto (Manda Otto) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  8. SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu (Please Retweet)

    [Reply]

  9. fabioricotta (fabioricotta) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  10. RT @lorenbaker SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu (Please Retweet)

    [Reply]

  11. rafrand (Chris Farrand) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  12. RT: @seosmarty: RT @lorenbaker SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu (Please Retweet)

    [Reply]

  13. rankedhardseo (Ranked Hard SEO) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  14. RT @seosmarty SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu

    [Reply]

  15. BWelford (Barry Welford) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  16. RT @seosmarty: RT @lorenbaker SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu (Please Retweet)

    [Reply]

  17. yofie (Jamie Zoch) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  18. @seosmarty RT So my first SEO tip: http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu (stay tuned and you’ll see more every day!) Links NOT working

    [Reply]

  19. ryan_adami (Ryan Adami) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  20. RT @seosmarty SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu

    [Reply]

  21. teedubya (Travis Wright) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  22. RT @seosmarty SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu

    [Reply]

  23. Serjeniu (Sergiu Naslau) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  24. RT @teedubya RT @seosmarty SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu

    [Reply]

  25. mpind (Manish Pandey) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  26. RT @lorenbaker SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu (Please Retweet)

    [Reply]

  27. PleaseRetweet (PleaseRetweet) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  28. RT RT @lorenbaker SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu (Pleas.. http://tinyurl.com/aamwse

    [Reply]

  29. PleaseRetweet (PleaseRetweet) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  30. RT RT @lorenbaker SEO Poll : How Often do you Change Your Title Tags for SEO? http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu (Pleas.. http://tinyurl.com/aamwse

    [Reply]

  31. seobag (Seo Keeper) on 12.31.1969 at 11:59 pm | permalink
  32. - “Target Several Keywords Without Stuffing Your Page Title” thx to @seosmarty ( http://tinyurl.com/cko8mu )

    [Reply]

  33. Loren Baker on 02.11.2009 at 3:26 pm | permalink
  34. Wow Ann, I love that TwtPoll, it looks so cool at the end of the post :)

    [Reply]

  35. Michael Martin on 02.11.2009 at 3:32 pm | permalink
  36. @Ann,

    I hope you are not advising via the poll title to change the title tags with any kind of frequency?

    IMHO - Its best to analyze the title upon creation before publishing and then say after a week or 2 of the page seeding into the results to even think about changing it.

    Perhaps tweak it slightly for a target keyword if the page is on the cusp somewhere on page 2 of the results.

    ,Michael Martin
    Google And Blog

    Michael Martin’s last incredible blog post..RC33 Update for T-Mobile G1 Android Phone Users - Why No 31 or 32?

    [Reply]

    Ann Smarty Reply:

    @Michael, oh no, I hope I didn’t sound as if I recommended changing it daily :) The key is to make it good from the beginning and to only introduce slight changes then.

    [Reply]

    Loren Baker Reply:

    I can say that as a blogger, I go through my posts on a regualr basis and make changes to the title tags using the All in One SEO Pack.

    I don’t think Ann is suggesting frequency here, just curious of how often people look at their titles and make changes.

    In my case, SEO is an ongoing experiment, so I make the changes whenever I can or see fit … or feel like having some fun in the rankings :)

    Thanks Michael, and thanks for the insight!

    [Reply]

    maarten Reply:

    But do you see improvements in your rankings by those small changes? After how much time do you see results?

    maarten’s last incredible blog post..Severne Sails new sail sponsor Karin Jaggi

    [Reply]

    Ryan Adami Reply:

    Title change frequency seems to be a big topic in the comments to this post. I will only change a title tag if I’m not seeing results, or if there is a shift in keyword usage by my target demographic. Switching out keywords from the title tag can decrease existing rankings on those terms. How much of a decrease really depends on inbound anchor text and link strength to that page.

    Even if you achieve top rankings for your target keyword, use analytics to measure the effectiveness of the search traffic from that term. Traffic might be high, but if conversions are low, think about switching it out for a higher performing keyword. I recommend using PPC to help measure keyword effectiveness. This can save you from optimizing and re-optimizing your pages.

    The title tag tip above is great! This type of formatting is something a few of us have been doing for a while now. I would even take it a step further and say that you can mix keywords even if there are other words in the phrase. The majority of searches in Google are simple keywords without quotes. This means that Google should broad match the terms in your title.

    Example:

    If my title is ‘Spy Optics Soldier Goggles Review’ I should have keyword matching in organic search on: Spy Goggles, Spy Optics Goggles, Spy Soldier Goggles, Soldier Goggles, Soldier Goggles Review and Spy Goggles Review. I’m sure you can find a few more!

    In fact if you search Google for ‘spy soldier goggles’ (no quotes!) you will see the 5th result title is: ‘Spy Soldier Snow Goggles’. The words Spy, Soldier and Goggles are bold. This shows Google’s broad match organic search in action and strengthens your title formatting tip! I only add that SEO’s should not be afraid to use other words within their keywords in the title tag.

    So let’s all vow to stop creating titles that look like this: Spy Goggles, Spy Optics Goggles, Spy Soldier Goggles . . . It’s a lot of bold text, even more stuffing and very little Call to Action!

    Follow me on twitter . . .

    [Reply]

    Michael Martin Reply:

    @Ryan,

    What SEO company, that we are both familiar with, would encourage such title tags as that???!?! :)
    Michael Martin’s last incredible blog post..RC33 Update for T-Mobile G1 Android Phone Users - Why No 31 or 32?

    [Reply]

    Ryan Adami Reply:

    You mean one like this:

    PPC Management, PPC Advertising, Pay Per Click Management

    ???? LOL

  37. Ann Smarty on 02.11.2009 at 3:33 pm | permalink
  38. Yeah, TwtPoll is really cool!

    [Reply]

  39. Mike Pantoliano on 02.11.2009 at 4:11 pm | permalink
  40. I’ve often unsure of what to do with title tags once I’ve reached the position I’m aiming for. Do I now go for a secondary term?

    There’s no question the importance of the title tag. Moving keywords closer to the front of the tag is always one of the first moves I make on a new project.

    Great site, I’m fully subscribed, and look forward to tomorrow’s tip!

    Mike Pantoliano’s last incredible blog post..Be Like Google - Always Be Testing

    [Reply]

    Marios Alexandrou Reply:

    If a page is ranking well for a keyword, consider using it to bring one of your other pages in the SERP as an indented listing. Linking from one to the other is a good start. The good news is that the second page need only have a “true” rank of 10 or better and it’ll automatically be pulled up as an indented listing under the first page.

    Marios Alexandrou’s last incredible blog post..Rankings Don’t Matter Except…

    [Reply]

  41. Raju on 02.11.2009 at 4:17 pm | permalink
  42. I cross check twice before I publish the post to make sure the title is proper.

    Raju’s last incredible blog post..35+ Web Based Image Editing Tools & Online Services

    [Reply]

  43. Cassiano Travareli on 02.11.2009 at 4:18 pm | permalink
  44. Very good tip Ann Smarty! I agree with you!
    There is no problem in target more than 1 keyword phrase in your page!

    Cassiano Travareli’s last incredible blog post..SEO Content Optimization - Designing Your Layout

    [Reply]

  45. Rafael on 02.11.2009 at 4:23 pm | permalink
  46. That is a great tip if you´re targeting more than one keywords/page

    Rafael’s last incredible blog post..Cómo conseguir el enlace adecuado

    [Reply]

  47. Chetan on 02.11.2009 at 4:30 pm | permalink
  48. I don’t stuff my blog posts with similar keywords but try to include good phrases which are being searched in SE’s. Anyways good tip :)
    Chetan’s last incredible blog post..Download Woothemes Ultimate icon pack for free

    [Reply]

  49. Andy Beard on 02.11.2009 at 4:40 pm | permalink
  50. Often overlooked

    Whilst Google uses the title tag in SERPs and as a ranking factor, it will be the post title that is most often used by blogging systems for internal linking, and the most likely and predictable link anchor text you will receive if someone links to a post.
    Title tag is often picked by default by social media sites as the headline and link text.

    [Reply]

    Ann Smarty Reply:

    Really great additions, Andy! Thanks!

    [Reply]

    Michael Martin Reply:

    Great point!

    @Andy,

    Are you going to PubCon next month as I didn’t see you on the speaking list?

    I am heading over to speak on the SEO Site Design panel - http://www.pubcon.com/sessions.cgi?action=view&record=205

    ,Michael Martin
    Google And Blog

    Michael Martin’s last incredible blog post..RC33 Update for T-Mobile G1 Android Phone Users - Why No 31 or 32?

    [Reply]

    Andy Beard Reply:

    Much easier to fly to Vegas from San Diego than Poland, plus not much point doing speaking gigs if you don’t have a product or service to sell, even if you are just branding on stage.

    That being said, flights are a lot cheaper than they were 18 months ago, thus I might end up in the US more often.

    [Reply]

  51. imnotadoctor on 02.11.2009 at 4:41 pm | permalink
  52. I love placing a call to action to the end of the title tag once you achieve high rankings. Simply adding “Free Shipping” to the title tag can really help CTR.

    imnotadoctor’s last incredible blog post..Killer Ocean Beach Sunset

    [Reply]

  53. Dana Lookadoo on 02.11.2009 at 4:43 pm | permalink
  54. Thanks for the matching keyword pattern example.

    Those new to SEO should note that drastic and frequent changes in the Title tag are discouraged. (I understand this was not the suggestion…just expanding upon the conversation.)

    I recently saw 2 top 10 rankings drop to page 3, because person who took over SEO on site changed multiple Title and meta tags with keywords that were not included in the H1 or body copy.

    Looking forward with anticipation to tomorrow’s Daily SEO Tip!

    Dana Lookadoo’s last incredible blog post..Universal Search Optimization Chart - Rules of the Game

    [Reply]

    Sheila Reply:

    Definitely, I agree completely Dana. This is a great basic SEO tip to start off “Daily SEO Tip” with :)

    I often need to target multiple keywords on a page and try to use this technique as much as possible, usually going back around once a month to check on which title tags might need a little extra TLC.

    Sheila’s last incredible blog post..The Ultimate SEO Snake Oil Salesman? John Dvorak of Course!

    [Reply]

  55. Fábio Ricotta on 02.11.2009 at 4:55 pm | permalink
  56. This tip is very usefull. I like to use - as as separator, then you don’t look too spammy. Something like:

    Find Make-Up Artist - Make-Up Artist Portfolios

    Fábio Ricotta’s last incredible blog post..A Importância de Comentar em Outros Blogs

    [Reply]

  57. Mark Aaron Murnahan on 02.11.2009 at 5:22 pm | permalink
  58. I try to get the title right the first time, but often find a better degree of “right” later. SEO is art and science merged, thus mistakes are possible.

    Mark Aaron Murnahan’s last incredible blog post..Twitter Usage Study: Pass The Tweet #PTT

    [Reply]

  59. Dan Perry on 02.11.2009 at 5:29 pm | permalink
  60. Good point, and great start to the new blog!

    Dan Perry’s last incredible blog post..TwitClicks - Analytics for Twitter

    [Reply]

  61. Jeremy Hermanns on 02.11.2009 at 5:35 pm | permalink
  62. Great poll - I personally ebb and flow with my Meta data analysis, sometimes I’m “all over it” and other times “I’m a back seat” attitude. Just depends on where the current SERPS are shaking out - and user engagement.

    Would LOVE to get on the Blog Roll - and I’m very excited for the potential of this site, way to go Ann!

    Cheers,
    Jeremy Hermanns
    http://www.seointelligence.com
    http://blog.seointelligence.com

    Jeremy Hermanns’s last incredible blog post..The SEO Linking Pyramid - Prioritize Your Link Efforts

    [Reply]

  63. Dave Rigotti on 02.11.2009 at 5:53 pm | permalink
  64. This is great! Please add my blog, “Dave Rigotti” http://daverigotti.com

    Thanks!

    Dave Rigotti’s last incredible blog post..Blogs I’m subscribed to

    [Reply]

  65. Dev Basu on 02.11.2009 at 6:27 pm | permalink
  66. Great tip Ann! The way I do it is generally some version of:

    The Best KW1, KW2, KW3 in or
    Find KW1, KW2, and KW at

    Often the more simplistic KW1 | KW2 | KW3 | Brand also works!

    Dev Basu’s last incredible blog post..Bad Link Requests: Get Your Targeting Right

    [Reply]

    Ann Smarty Reply:

    That works if your KW1, KW2, KW3 are short enough or consist of only one word. Otherwise, you’ll end up having a too long title…

    [Reply]

  67. Pelle on 02.11.2009 at 6:31 pm | permalink
  68. Welcome to the world Daily SEO Tip! A very promising start for this new blog, which of course has been added to the list of RSS-feeds to follow!

    Choosing the right keywords have always been a mystery but articles such as yours always makes things understandable.

    Pelle’s last incredible blog post..TeamViewer underlättar fjärrstyrning

    [Reply]

  69. Marco Ziero on 02.11.2009 at 6:35 pm | permalink
  70. Really good tip. Thank you. :)

    A question: when you get ranked for “find make-up artist portfolios”, then, probably, you will focus for one of the two keywords to get more organic traffic.
    At that point, what will be the chosen one? “find make-up artist” or “make-up artist portfolios”?

    More simple.
    (Today) New title tag (no rank): “find make-up artist” + “make-up artist portfolios” = find make-up artist portfolios.
    (Tomorrow) Fine tuning title tag (you get ranked for “find make-up artist portfolios”): “find make-up artist” or “make-up artist portfolios”?

    Maybe two different pages?

    Sorry for my english. :(

    Marco, from Italy

    Marco Ziero’s last incredible blog post..iTunes Gift Card = User Generated Playlist

    [Reply]

    Ann Smarty Reply:

    You can always split the page in two and add content accordingly. However your further strategy depends on how this first page performs.

    [Reply]

  71. Jag on 02.11.2009 at 6:43 pm | permalink
  72. Well said good post ou can also mention about long tail keywords

    [Reply]

  73. Utah SEO Pro on 02.11.2009 at 6:48 pm | permalink
  74. Yes, an SEO should be proofreading titles and descriptions every 3 to 6 months for all their sites. Unfortunately, it’s low on the priority list for most people.

    Utah SEO Pro’s last incredible blog post..An Interview with Utah SEO Pro (Jordan Kasteler) by Martin Bowling

    [Reply]

  75. Barry Schwartz on 02.11.2009 at 7:06 pm | permalink
  76. Nice blog ;-)
    Barry Schwartz’s last incredible blog post..Daily Search Forum Recap: February 10, 2009

    [Reply]

  77. Kevin Boss on 02.11.2009 at 7:09 pm | permalink
  78. Simple yet effective - nice tip!

    Kevin Boss’s last incredible blog post..Website Name Generator

    [Reply]

  79. Sujan Patel on 02.11.2009 at 7:20 pm | permalink
  80. Some great tips. I look at my page titles every month just as a best practice but don’t change that often. I agree with Utah SEO Pro that for most people titles aren’t really on their radar.

    Sujan Patel’s last incredible blog post..Top Paying Adsense Keywords Video

    [Reply]

  81. A.Fruit on 02.11.2009 at 7:36 pm | permalink
  82. Lately I’ve been reducing clutter, making them more poignant.

    A.Fruit’s last incredible blog post..Indexing: What is It, and Why Does Google Need to Do It?

    [Reply]

    Mike Reply:

    Yeah, that’s the toughest part, especially in terms of SERPS. Balancing SEO and a headline.

    [Reply]

  83. Mike on 02.11.2009 at 7:54 pm | permalink
  84. I generally go with Websitename: Modifier Keyword Modifier.

    Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can use the title of the website as a keyword OR modifier. When I do this, I go with a hyphen since Google treats it as one space, instead of a colon AND a space.

    Example: “Joe’s Company-SEO tips” where you’re going for SEO Company and SEO Tips.

    [Reply]

  85. Rik Weber on 02.11.2009 at 8:14 pm | permalink
  86. I find that a good technique for a new website / SEO campaign is to have a title tag that targets a relatively low competition keyword that includes one or more generic keywords that you can target in the long term, without having to change it in the future.

    For example, the title “Freelance Web Design in Manchester” means you can target your link campaign to a fairly quickly achievable term to begin with. Once good rankings are achieved for the full title, you can move your link campaign onto “Web Design in Manchester” (without having to change the title), and then (probably after a few years!) “Web Design”.

    [Reply]

  87. Latam SEO on 02.11.2009 at 8:21 pm | permalink
  88. What a great blog, I feel I am going to be a loyal reader of this blog. Congratulations, Keep it up!

    [Reply]

  89. Federico on 02.11.2009 at 8:27 pm | permalink
  90. Tip for Ecommerce sites:

    Keyword or product <- category <- Brand

    Easy to set up in a CMS software as well.

    Federico’s last incredible blog post..BuyandwalkSEM: Pretty busy today, sorry for not tweeting as usual :(

    [Reply]

  91. james poole on 02.11.2009 at 9:25 pm | permalink
  92. Great post as always Ann, loving the new look of the site as well

    james poole’s last incredible blog post..B&Q, direct line and other buying links, tamar.com?

    [Reply]

    Webmaster Julio: How to make a resume: Reply:

    I think when I don’t speak properly a new languague is very difficult to create a good title. But you have a good experience in your native languague, you can choose one of the best title for your website, if you have studied in tool adword. I hope I don’t disturb you.

    [Reply]

  93. Darsh on 02.11.2009 at 9:38 pm | permalink
  94. Good tip and a great start for this new blog.

    [Reply]

  95. Jacqueline (SEOGroup Blogger) on 02.11.2009 at 9:39 pm | permalink
  96. I agree with the other commenters - this is a great start. I’ll definitely be back!

    [Reply]

  97. Anna on 02.11.2009 at 9:48 pm | permalink
  98. Congratulations on your new blog!

    First of all, a word of caution against trying to optimize your page against too many keywords: try to limit to two keyword phrases, and organize your ’synonymous’ key phrase clusters.

    The title tag strategy that has worked best for our clients tends to be the following format: ‘Main key phrase targeted + Product or service keywords + GEO location (where relevant) + company name (if there is enough space left).

    Since the title tag also becomes the heading for your website in the search results, make it easily understood and think about the promise it holds to the searcher - can you convince him that clicking the link will lead him to the anticipated information. Also focus on the meta description as an extra chance to get some convincing copy in there.

    The first H1 tag should be close to the title tag, to enhance it effectiveness. Make sure your most important key search phrase is as close to the beginning as possible.

    Hope this is helpful.

    Good luck with you new blog!

    Anna’s last incredible blog post..Top 10 ways to promote your blog

    [Reply]

  99. Tamar Weinberg on 02.11.2009 at 10:15 pm | permalink
  100. Wow, almost nobody here has a gravatar….

    p.s. gotta love twtpoll ;)
    Tamar Weinberg’s last incredible blog post..Best Internet Marketing Posts of 2008

    [Reply]

    Loren Baker Reply:

    LOL, I KNOW! I thought EVERYONE used Gravatar :)

    [Reply]

    Gerald Weber Reply:

    There is another plugin out there that first pulls their Twitter profile pic and then if there is no Twitter it will then pull their gravatar profile. Can’t remember the name of it offhand *scratches head*

    Gerald Weber’s last incredible blog post..When the Ban Hammer Comes Down on StumbleUpon

    [Reply]

  101. Ian Garlic on 02.11.2009 at 10:28 pm | permalink
  102. Do you feel by trying to put together terms you might turn off a less sophisticated person?

    [Reply]

  103. Richard Pocock on 02.11.2009 at 10:33 pm | permalink
  104. In addition to Anne’s nice tip. Look at your core keyword to identify a potential opportunity.

    For example. A client of mine handled Campervan Rentals. Now looking at the primary keyword “Campervan” - Google treats this and “Camper Van” the same. Implementing the two word variation allowed for additional targeting of “Camper Van Rentals”, “Campervan Rentals” and “Van Rentals”

    Richard Pocock’s last incredible blog post..Google Analytics For iPhone

    [Reply]

  105. Michael Martin on 02.11.2009 at 10:35 pm | permalink
  106. Amazing how all those retweets just made it in before 1970…whew ;)
    Michael Martin’s last incredible blog post..RC33 Update for T-Mobile G1 Android Phone Users - Why No 31 or 32?

    [Reply]

  107. Wes McDermott on 02.11.2009 at 11:13 pm | permalink
  108. I tend to change my title tags quite often when the site is new, say every month or so. More out of my pursuit for perfection more than anything.

    Wes McDermott’s last incredible blog post..Paid Links! Why the Hell Not?

    [Reply]

  109. Eddie on 02.12.2009 at 12:49 am | permalink
  110. let’s not forget to mention the reason the title shouldn’t be long: too many keywords dilute the effectiveness of each one of them. so if you the page is targeting long tail keywords it is more appropriate to have a longer title than if you are targeting highly competitive keywords.

    [Reply]

  111. Random Detox on 02.12.2009 at 1:49 am | permalink
  112. Am new to SEO, I did it (focusing on long tail keywords) only for a month and subsequently found myself dropped from Google SERPS by about 150+ steps for all of my keywords except my domain name. I’m not sure where I went wrong (perhaps keyword stuffing) but I deleted most of the posts I made during that time, in the hopes that I may return back to the top of the SERPs.

    You’re off to a good start and am subscribing to your feed. Good luck! :)

    [Reply]

  113. Dave Davis on 02.12.2009 at 2:12 am | permalink
  114. Hi Ann, nice tip there.

    Here’s another. Use your PPC data to find the title (and description) that get the highest CTR in the paid listings. Use this title for your organic title. 9 times out of 10, it will improve your organic CTR. And we all know that 2009 is the year of organic CTR optimization don’t we ;)
    Dave Davis’s last incredible blog post..5 More Ways to Improve CTR

    [Reply]

    Ann Smarty Reply:

    very good point, Dave

    [Reply]

  115. Lydia Mazorol on 02.12.2009 at 2:16 am | permalink
  116. Great explanation! Word-smithing can be fun! Don’t forget to consider the plural over singular of some keywords and/or other word inflections to capture additional possible searched terms.

    [Reply]

  117. pablo palatnik on 02.12.2009 at 3:12 am | permalink
  118. daily SEO Tip: When someone offers a free blogroll link, TAKE IT!

    pablo palatnik’s last incredible blog post..Valentines Day PPC Tips

    [Reply]

  119. Mercy Livi on 02.12.2009 at 4:39 am | permalink
  120. Great start up! I suggest we can add phone number or skype contact in the title tag which helps in great deal for corporate websites!

    Mercy Livi’s last incredible blog post..L K Advani Follow Obama Style Online Marketing Campaign

    [Reply]

  121. Mike on 02.12.2009 at 5:33 am | permalink
  122. A useful tip and often overlooked. Keep the tips coming.

    [Reply]

  123. Philip Liu on 02.12.2009 at 5:38 am | permalink
  124. Here’s a tip I picked up (now I can’t remember where):

    Use sparingly symbols in the title so that when the search engines pick it up, it’ll actually draw searchers’ attention to the title. For example, two asterisks on either side of the title.

    Philip Liu’s last incredible blog post..The Competitive Advantage Of The Late Mover

    [Reply]

  125. saurav verma on 02.12.2009 at 6:15 am | permalink
  126. Title is one of the most important on page element, but I have seen too many websites using it wrong way, worse not using it at all. I am hoping they read this post.

    I would love to see what’s coming next. Thank you.

    [Reply]

  127. Navneet Kaushal on 02.12.2009 at 7:05 am | permalink
  128. I often use keywords in title. But as a rule of thumb not more than 2

    [Reply]

  129. SeoDart.net on 02.12.2009 at 7:21 am | permalink

  130. And what tricks for title tag optimization do you use?

    It depends on case. Sometimes I use synonyms, sometimes I reinforce brand blog name.

    [Reply]

  131. Thoughts Unlimited on 02.12.2009 at 8:28 am | permalink
  132. I use Title Tag plugin for WP. http://www.netconcepts.com/seo-title-tag-plugin/ I have an option to choose the title of the post, while editing it.

    I try to choose keywords out of the post title, arrange them in meaningful order and make it the title.

    Thoughts Unlimited’s last incredible blog post..Posting to Twitter by E-Mail [Twitter]

    [Reply]

  133. Vevin.com on 02.12.2009 at 9:40 am | permalink
  134. Nice Information but i am confused why u have not followed this in this Post . Is that for bloggers or for website services

    Vevin.com’s last incredible blog post..Open or Save More than One Home Pages In Firefox

    [Reply]

  135. Vevin.com on 02.12.2009 at 9:42 am | permalink
  136. How you are Extracting latest post title in comments

    Vevin.com’s last incredible blog post..Open or Save More than One Home Pages In Firefox

    [Reply]

    Loren Baker Reply:

    Via a plugin called CommentLuv

    [Reply]

    Gerald Weber Reply:

    Comment Luv rules! ;-)
    Gerald Weber’s last incredible blog post..When the Ban Hammer Comes Down on StumbleUpon

    [Reply]

  137. Frederik Trovatten on 02.12.2009 at 9:57 am | permalink
  138. Exciting post.
    As Vevin.com i writing im as confused as him.

    Good luck.

    Adwords and Seo blog

    Frederik Trovatten’s last incredible blog post..Hvad er Negative Keywords? Lær at brug Negative søgeord i Adwords!

    [Reply]

  139. Semil on 02.12.2009 at 11:03 am | permalink
  140. I will go for the Title tag once in a week for my revenue generated sites.

    i agree with create a short concise title but what we can do if we have more than 3 4 services with one main keyword in common.

    I will go for short sentence in Title with common words used in between two words and try to use the primary keyword first.

    Semil’s last incredible blog post..Standards for Search Engine Rankings

    [Reply]

  141. Manish Pandey on 02.12.2009 at 11:47 am | permalink
  142. This is the reason my blog title has only a few words, but those are very important SEO related ones.

    Manish Pandey’s last incredible blog post..Best Of The Web - Sceince & Technology Posts and Articles Of Year 2008

    [Reply]

  143. Shadab Malik on 02.12.2009 at 11:55 am | permalink
  144. Though I can still see a lot of websites on many keywords ranking higher with their spammy titles, one should not be expecting Google to spare such websites in the long run. However, making a Title concise is always a bigger task and your post makes it easier.

    I sometimes change the Title of a Page on the same day thrice before settling on to one :).

    [Reply]

  145. Matt on 02.12.2009 at 12:32 pm | permalink
  146. Great 1st tip Ann! My tip for page titles, and yeah I know its a very basic tip, but too often I see mizzpelld title pages with and title pages with poor grammar. Cheers and keep em coming…

    Matt’s last incredible blog post..Link Juice Shopping = Expiring Domains

    [Reply]

  147. Mark Edmondson on 02.12.2009 at 2:31 pm | permalink
  148. Its worth keeping in mind that you’ll only have 70 characters displayed in the SERP results as well, although you can get some keyword weighting if you extend past this limit. Go too long though and your title tag will be treated as body text.

    Mark Edmondson’s last incredible blog post..Site Migration And SEO

    [Reply]

    Mark Alves Reply:

    If you’re getting a second, indented listing then then maximum title length drops to 68 characters before Google displays an ellipse (…) instead of the end of your title.

    Mark Alves’s last incredible blog post..Announcing Weather-Related Church Closings to a Mobile Congregation

    [Reply]

  149. Barry Welford on 02.12.2009 at 2:37 pm | permalink
  150. Wow, this one is really hot and I haven’t read ‘em all. However my tip is to check your title in the Google Adwords Keyword Tool. You may find some variant in order that works better.

    Barry Welford’s last incredible blog post..Exponential Marketing - Meme Links

    [Reply]

  151. Seo Keeper on 02.12.2009 at 2:48 pm | permalink
  152. I think what to write good title not simply because is necessary that it consisted not only of keywords, but also made sense.

    [Reply]

  153. Super Smart SEO on 02.12.2009 at 3:10 pm | permalink
  154. I don’t change the tags in my titles after posting. In some cases I’m using syndicated content and I prefer not to mess with the existing stuff. I’ve already book marked this site and put it in my daily tab and look forward to reading. Thanks!

    Super Smart SEO’s last incredible blog post..Be Careful On How You Choose A Web Hosting Company

    [Reply]

  155. António on 02.12.2009 at 3:22 pm | permalink
  156. This is the best bait I’ve seen for a while in blogs. Congratulations Loren and Ann!

    António’s last incredible blog post..Segurança no Wordpress: Plugin wordpress firewall

    [Reply]

  157. Gerald Weber on 02.12.2009 at 3:25 pm | permalink
  158. Ann,

    Great tips here. it’s true that creating a good title is very important from a search perspective but also very important from a visual human perspective(Since this is what displays in search results)

    Interestingly I am already pretty much doing what you suggesting here. :-) Yay!

    Gerald Weber’s last incredible blog post..When the Ban Hammer Comes Down on StumbleUpon

    [Reply]

  159. Shawn on 02.12.2009 at 3:32 pm | permalink
  160. I heard a podcast last year with Jack Humphrey interviewing some super-seo-guru who said his extensive tests indicated that shorter blog titles rank better/do better (?) than longer titles. I think the inference was that Google used to love longer titles and now don’t…? Anyway, food for thought!

    [Reply]

  161. Jon on 02.12.2009 at 4:03 pm | permalink
  162. We generally recommend targeting two key phrases per page and definitely use a similar style as suggested above. The goal is to maximize the effectiveness of the title tag so that you can get as much ranking as possible.

    With respect to frequency changes, it really should depend on the results. If your site has beeen spidered and you did not obtain the desired ranking, then you should change your title tags and other aspects of your page as well.

    [Reply]

  163. Searchvoice on 02.12.2009 at 5:30 pm | permalink
  164. I remember looking in the source code of a clients site once and finding the title was so long we’d have needed a screen the size of a football pitch to view it all at once!

    [Reply]

  165. Eric Brantner on 02.12.2009 at 6:01 pm | permalink
  166. I like this tip because it’s simple and effective. It keeps your title tags looking clean and not spammy. Good work!

    [Reply]

  167. im0z | Internet Marketing Oz on 02.12.2009 at 6:18 pm | permalink
  168. Thanks for the tip, Ann. I’ve followed you on SEOmoz for the last couple of years now, and your tips have helped me with TITLE/META optimization. This is a good one; it sparked some creative thinking about revising weak TITLE tags. Cheers!

    [Reply]

  169. Kim Andersen on 02.12.2009 at 8:28 pm | permalink
  170. Thanks for the tip Ann. I will surely look at my own sie right away, and think of this the next time i write a blogpost.

    Best regards,
    Kim Andersen - Denmark

    Kim Andersen’s last incredible blog post..Fjern fed/bold tekst i Safari – Text-shadow i CSS

    [Reply]

  171. Adam | PageRush on 02.12.2009 at 9:58 pm | permalink
  172. This is an excellent tip, Ann. It is amazing the impact SEO (and digital technology in general) has had on human language.

    Adam | PageRush’s last incredible blog post..SEO Quick-fixes a Case Study

    [Reply]

  173. abncparties on 02.12.2009 at 10:23 pm | permalink
  174. I proof read until I get the rankings I am looking for. Then I go after additional keywords for additional pages.

    [Reply]

  175. Graphic SEO on 02.12.2009 at 11:25 pm | permalink
  176. That seems like a good approach to Title tags. I think one important part you left out is the ability to add the pipe to get a better keyword rich title tag.

    Graphic SEO’s last incredible blog post..Paypal Phishing Scam

    [Reply]

    Michael Martin Reply:

    Pipes are great as a parser so you can include your company name at the end of the title tag thus you get the branding and minimalize the keyword dilution - IMHO

    ,Michael Martin

    [Reply]

  177. Duane Brown on 02.13.2009 at 3:25 am | permalink
  178. Good start to the new blog. I’m going to enjoy getting this in my RSS reader. Keep up the work.

    Duane Brown’s last incredible blog post..Breaking Out PPC Accounts by Country is a Must for Success!

    [Reply]

  179. Spider Bait SEO on 02.13.2009 at 4:00 pm | permalink
  180. Also it’s ok and I encourage people to repeat your keyword phrase in some variation within the title tag. And as always brand at the end of your tag NOT at the beggining unless it’s a keyword you are trying to rank for.

    Entire site/blog is in the process of a re-design, coming soon!

    http://www.spiderbait.com/seo-expert/2008/11/twitter-free-local-business-promotion.asp

    Spider Bait SEO’s last incredible blog post..Twitter: Free Local Business Promotion

    [Reply]

    Loren Baker Reply:

    DANTE! Welcome to the conversation!

    [Reply]

  181. Michael Gunin on 02.14.2009 at 10:29 pm | permalink
  182. Thank you for the new blog, first of all - it does look very promising.

    I like your idea about combined titles, however, I’m not sure that it will work in all cases. As another option, you may simply create a well-thought sentence and separate keyterms by commas.

    [Reply]

  183. Digital Marketing Agency on 02.15.2009 at 2:48 pm | permalink
  184. Hello Ann, very good advice. From our perspective as an agency, it’s really important to explain this in ways that less Internet savvy people can understand, your simple formula is a great place to start. Thanks for the tip, I’ll be subscribing to your site.

    [Reply]

  185. Stephen Pitts on 02.15.2009 at 7:11 pm | permalink
  186. The best tip for new SEO, the most valuable on page element. Keep the tips coming!

    Stephen Pitts’s last incredible blog post..Measuring the Value of ALT and Title Elements of Image Tags

    [Reply]

  187. Neil on 02.18.2009 at 5:40 pm | permalink
  188. I have learned or suspected that if you change your HP meta title too often, Google will slap you down because they will sense you are trying to manipulate your result.

    [Reply]

  189. The Wpromoter on 02.18.2009 at 6:03 pm | permalink
  190. Great tip Ann. With the 66 character limit, it’s important to accurately use modifiers and high-search volume keywords without being overly spammy. Your formula works!

    The Wpromoter’s last incredible blog post..Trade Show Season Has Begun!

    [Reply]

  191. BCA Search Engine Optimisation on 02.20.2009 at 1:48 am | permalink
  192. Great post Ann. It’s amazing how many web sites can’t even get the simple things in SEO right such as keywords within title tags. Look forward to future tips from you.

    [Reply]

  193. albania on 02.23.2009 at 8:16 pm | permalink
  194. Congratulations on your new blog Anne.

    albania’s last incredible blog post..Dorela Hysa,oferte nga nje agjensi amerikane

    [Reply]

  195. Mike of Dofollow Blog List on 02.25.2009 at 6:20 pm | permalink
  196. I know a lot of people try to go for keywords in their titles that are just to broad and have too much competition.

    I do a fair amount of keyword research to come up with my initial title based on competition and number of estimated searches.

    Then I let it run for a few months. I will then look at my site stats to see what people are searching on to find my site. Sometimes you can find gold in those search terms. Those terms sometimes lead me to change my title, other times they give me ideas on new pages, sites or blog posts.

    Mike of Dofollow Blog List’s last incredible blog post..New DoFollow Blog Comment Strategy

    [Reply]

  197. Michael Martin on 02.28.2009 at 4:12 pm | permalink
  198. Well the post didn’t say anything about not keyword stuffing comments - reference the mass links to some wonderful drugs above :)

    ,Michael Martin

    [Reply]

    Ann Smarty Reply:

    LOL
    Thanks for the catch :) My bad I missed it.

    [Reply]

  199. Affiliate Secrets on 04.03.2009 at 4:31 pm | permalink
  200. This little trick might work in some cases with low competition keywords, I have done it a few times before.. thanks for sharing it with us :)
    Affiliate Secrets’s last incredible blog post..Keyword Elite Review

    [Reply]

  201. otimização de sites on 04.15.2009 at 3:17 pm | permalink
  202. It´s a nice way to avoid keyword stuffing.
    It works perfectly with correlated works!

    Nice post!

    [Reply]

  203. Self Help on 05.25.2009 at 6:17 pm | permalink
  204. Well that’s a good point , but I prefer longer title as I believe longtail keywords convert much better than main single keywords. Also I am thinking that maybe Google get confused if we use several KWs in our page titles.

    Self Help’s last incredible blog post..Time shortage! Imagination or reality

    [Reply]

  205. quang cao online on 06.09.2009 at 3:28 am | permalink
  206. Great post, i am amazing with yourpost
    Congratulations for your first SEO tip!

    quang cao online’s last incredible blog post..Hi?u qu? c?a th??ng m?i ?i?n t? v?i doanh nghi?p

    [Reply]

  207. quang cao online on 06.09.2009 at 3:29 am | permalink
  208. Great post, i am amazing with yourpost
    Congratulations for your first SEO tip!

    [Reply]

  209. Carter Edsall on 07.30.2009 at 1:52 pm | permalink
  210. With the increasing number of strategies in the SEO toolkit it’s a relief to know that frequent changes are discouraged. …at least as far as title tags are concerned.

    [Reply]

  211. Johnstrollers on 09.26.2009 at 7:43 am | permalink
  212. Thats great post in your site.

    [Reply]

  213. Johnstrollers on 09.26.2009 at 7:47 am | permalink
  214. That can helps to all SEO. Thanks of that tips. I hope it can help to all.

    [Reply]

  215. Health Insurance St Petersburg on 09.29.2009 at 5:50 am | permalink
  216. This is really simple and effective tips for title tag. I’ll follow your tips. Thanks.

    [Reply]

  217. Banner Stands on 11.05.2009 at 3:18 pm | permalink
  218. I liked the title tag poll

    [Reply]

  219. Yahoo Management on 11.27.2009 at 4:16 pm | permalink
  220. whoa, this was really great pointers. I’ll definitely follow this one.

    I guess I’ll be visiting your blog now more often.

    [Reply]

  221. karen@ qwertyphone on 12.01.2009 at 5:45 pm | permalink
  222. Super keyword tips, I love these.

    [Reply]

  223. oliver@ buy to let mortgages on 12.01.2009 at 5:48 pm | permalink
  224. Very effective, title tags are very important in all aspects of seo. Great blog too.

    [Reply]

  225. prdeep on 01.02.2010 at 1:01 pm | permalink
  226. wow,very nice post,nice blog layout too,but i read some other blogs saying some other things, anyway thanks for the info

    [Reply]

  227. Moda Feminina on 01.07.2010 at 11:21 am | permalink
  228. I loved the blog you are the parabens. I wish you success and hope confirir new material soon.
    Hugs

    [Reply]

  229. Nighthawks on 01.09.2010 at 11:07 pm | permalink
  230. Its a good idea Ann.
    I am going to change all my titles…

    [Reply]

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