10 Ways To Write Good Title Tags That Get Clicks On Search Engines

Page Content Breakdown

Share to

Every morning, I like to do a little reading while I eat my breakfast. Usually, I glance at my phone and start scrolling through my Twitter feed, Facebook, or news feed generator. Sometimes I’ll glance at the front page of the newspaper that sits at the breakfast room entrance in my hotel. In reality, I don’t read the entire content of every news article I come across. I focus on the title tags.

I don’t click on every link I see on my phone, and just because I follow someone on Twitter doesn’t mean I read their blog posts. So what am I looking for?

Within 10 minutes, I need to devour my breakfast before getting ready for my work day, I’ve already scrolled through numerous headlines and hundreds of ads (consciously and unconsciously). I need something that grabs my attention, captures my curiosity, and raises my eyebrows before I click on it and read what it has to say.

Most of the time, I’m waiting to find that interesting title tag that will stop my gaze when I see it.

When each of your readers follows hundreds, or thousands, of accounts other than Twitter, Facebook, or blog, you need your tweets to stand out and grab attention in the split second it takes to read a title tag.

That’s why title tags are so important. It’s what’s going to draw your readers in to really understand what you’ve written. If your title tag isn’t compelling enough, it doesn’t matter what your article has to say. No one will ever see it.

The title tag will significantly influence your website traffic, bounce rates, conversions, and trust. Millions of new blog posts, billions of new emails, and thousands of hours of videos are downloaded online every day.

However, only 20% of people who see these new pieces will go beyond reading the title tag. 80% will read the title tag and move on. Your title tag is a first impression that can greatly determine the success of your articles, your website, and even your online business.

Attracting a reader with good title tags

Search engine research has shown over the years what subliminally draw people to different things. Here are some ways to draw attention to your title tag and your article, simply by wording the title tag in a certain way.

Lists and numbers in your title tags

People like to look at lists and see numbers. A list of facts or things will catch the attention of readers, as they are easily viewed and scanned. The numbers also stand out in a line of text, drawing attention to the overall title tag.

“Ways to eat healthy while traveling“

– The use of the word “ways” implies a list that can be easily re-read.

“10 Most Effective Air Fresheners“

– The number at the beginning of the title tag gets your attention right away.

“27 things to do this summer“

– Try to implement both into one title to build interest in your article:

Be clear in your title tagH2

Depending on how you write your title tag or what you include, you can determine the click-through rate of a title link. Be explicit in saying exactly what is included in the article.

Which title tag is more clear?

“Save on your phone bill“

“10 ways to save money on your smartphone bill“

“How to save money on your phone bill“

– This doesn’t provide any detail.

A title tag like this shows uncertainty. Some questions you might ask about this article could be:

What am I saving – Money? Minutes? Data?

What phone – My home phone? Cell phone?

A reader may click on it to see what it is about, but when they finally realize what it is, they will quickly leave. This will only increase bounce rates and decrease the quality of visitors.

“10 Ways to Save Money on Your Smartphone Bill“

– You know exactly what to expect in this article based on the title. It’s not my home phone and it’s not just a cell phone. There is no doubt what this article is about.

Avoid ambiguity and be as clear as possible.

Address your reader with your title tags

Addressing your reader explicitly as “you” or by title, or by job title, can also generate interest. This gets his or her attention by calling out directly or in relation to that person.

“How you can make money on the weekend.”

– How can I make money on the weekend? Me? Yes, you.

“5 things to make you a better salesperson.”

– This is for you and the salesperson. Either one will be attracted to this title.

Searchable Title Tags

Your title tag should also be searchable. Make sure you have included the appropriate keywords in the title tag to maintain an SEO-optimized article. This will ensure that your article will be clicked on among other results in search engines. Long tail keywords will do even better, as more qualified visitors will likely click on your title tag.

Making sure the title tag is optimized for SEO is very important. As titles are optimized according to the tips in this article, the article will also stand out among others in a search results page.

However, getting your article to rank first on those search results is a priority. After your title tag is optimized for long tail keywords and includes elements mentioned above, the article will likely have higher click-through rates in search engines.

Which of these results are you most likely to click on a Google search for homemade ice cream recipes?

“Ice cream recipes“

“21 Best Recipes for Homemade Ice Cream“

Trigger readers with your title tags?

Another very important element of title tags is the incentive. Why should they read this? Incentivize people by giving readers an incentive to look at the article. Expressing different facts to show that your article has something the reader wants to get is the key to getting them to read your article.

A title tag should show the immediate value of reading the article

Show that readers will be rewarded with some sort of useful information after reading the article. This works especially well with tutorials or how-tos. Express how something will be useful to the reader in one sentence. Here’s an example:

“How to create a custom Google map.“

This is perfect. I already know that by the time I finish reading this, I should know how to create a custom Google map.

BuzzFeed also does a good job on its Facebook and Twitter feeds. Usually, they start with a sentence or question.

Share knowledge

This type of title tag expresses the fact that the reader will have gained knowledge about something within the article. A news channel could take advantage of this or even a tabloid magazine. The reader wants to know something that others don’t know, so they can share it with others. In addition, the reader’s interest can be piqued by a little fact in the title tag that creates a desire to learn more and read the article.

“Apple submits iWatch brand to Japan“

– This is a simple fact, but people will want to know more about the details.

Another way to show that incentive is to share a secret with readers or share something amazing.

“5 Secrets Behind a Good Night’s Sleep“

– Sharing a secret could be more of a tip or trick, but it’s still information the reader is interested in knowing.

“15 images you’d be hard pressed to believe aren’t Photoshopped“

– I need to see what this is! This title creates extreme curiosity without being vague.

Offer a reward

Give the visitor a reason to see the article. A title tag that tells them the reward they can receive will create interest in the article. This reward can be something as simple as a good laugh, or even a product or service.

“Who Wants a Free Responsive WordPress Theme?”

– Anyone interested in WordPress themes would be very interested in clicking on this title tag. However, they expect a free theme, so make sure it is.

“Dilbert Comics for Sales and Marketing“

– This title would be of interest to marketers or salespeople because they expect to get a laugh out of some of Dilbert’s clippings.

The title tag in social networks

This is where you’re going to see a lot of your titles, so why not adapt them to each social network you share on?

Using the Title tag on Twitter

Twitter has decided to use 280 characters instead of 140. However, that’s enough to use the power of the title tag techniques mentioned above.

Although, with Twitter, there are some actionable words that tend to do better than others. The folks at Buffer found that a tweet asking for a retweet increased its retweets by an average of 311%!!!

They also found a comprehensive list of the most retweetable words on Twitter. Try incorporating some of these Twitter tips into your following tweet!

Using the Title tag on Facebook

Facebook compared to Twitter has an unfair advantage. Facebook can use images in a much more sophisticated way than Twitter. So can Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, and just about every other social media platform. It’s huge.

You have the ability to put the whole meaning of your post in the image instead of the Title Tag. The image itself becomes that first impression and takes the pressure off your title tags.

Take advantage of this useful tool! Use extremely self-explanatory images that let your readers know exactly what they will read in the article while creating that curiosity to keep them reading.

Experiment with your different title tags and social media posts and test which method works best. Use an app like Buffer to get valuable statistics on your social media activity. Perform an

A/B Testing different title tags

A/B test to see which style of the title tag will attract the most readers from your subscriber list. It may take a little experimentation, but in time, you’ll be a master of title tags on all your social accounts!

Title tags dig deep into the psychological depths of our brains and have a subliminal effect while we quickly glance at them. Make sure you use effective title tags to attract people to your site. Not all readers are the same and every website has a different audience.

Don’t hesitate to try a new method here and there. Find out what element or incentive sparks the most interest in your readers. You might be surprised at the difference it makes.