Bad Page Titles

Bad web page titles can affect how well you rank in search engines and how many people actually choose to click on your website when it appears in the search. It's quite likely you don't even notice the page title on your web pages, but you've seen hundreds of page titles if you've done any web searching. The page title is not actually on the page, it's above it. It shows up at the very top of the browser window.

 

 

The page title (actually called the "meta title") carries a lot of weight with the major search engines. It is usually the most powerful text on the page from a search engine's point of view. This should be very carefully considered when a website is being created. A web page title not only shows up at the top of the browser, it's also displayed by the search engines as the results of a search. It is one of the main things potential guests evaluate as they look at the list of results and decide which ones to click on and take a closer look. Here is an example of how page titles appear in a search:



Your title has to contain the kind of information a potential guest is looking for as they scan the search results. Titles content must appeal to both a search engine and a potential guest. It takes a bit of time and thought, but it is one of the most important considerations for your website and its future traffic. Here are some general guidelines to consider:

• Each title should contain major terms or phrases that you want the page to show in a search.

• In general a title should not contain more than 10 words.

• Each page should have a different title, targeting different keyword phrases.

• Each title should be meaningful enough to attract the eye and interest of a potential guest.

• Avoid the use of words that will not be searched for (i.e. the, and, or etc.) as much as possible while still keeping the title meaningful. However, "Bed Breakfast" should not be used in place of "Bed and Breakfast."

Examine the titles used on your current website and see if they conform to some or all of the above guidelines.

 

Advice

• If you are having a new website built, spend time choosing effective page titles for each and every page of your website.

• If you have an existing website that uses bad page titles, contact your designer immediately and get them changed to something more effective and meaningful that will attract guests. The technical side of changing page titles is relatively easy and should not take a lot of time or money but writing good page titles does take time and is well worth it. ICT Total Solution suggest you spend some time constructing what the titles should say, before contacting your designer.
  
  
• If you are looking for a new designer or website promotion specialist, examine the sites in their portfolio. Does each page have an effective page title? If the answer is "no," keep looking for another person to promote or design your site.