Last time we talked about this topic, I mentioned how pointless I find search engine optimization (SEO) for small businesses.
It’s a big business or mid-sized-business-with-a-high-priced-consultant game to play when it takes so much time and effort to implement… not to mention a continuously updated education.
The SEO rules change. All. The. Time.
Even so, that’s just my opinion. You’re more than welcome to have a different one, especially because I could be wrong.
That’s why I still wrote about SEO anyway, specifically about title creation. For those of you who missed the last installment, Tip #1 is, “Keep your titles short.” And Tip #2 is, “But not that short.”
You see, Google and the lesser search engine overlords will only consider the first 70 characters of your title. Yet search engine users will only click on something that sounds legible and engaging.
So you need to find a balance.
If you want the full explanations to each, click here to read the first installment.
Otherwise, let’s get right down to the next set of SEO tips that might actually work.
Make it about your intended reader by literally inserting them into it.
That’s actually really easy to do through a few different methods. One way is to simply put “You” in there, such as:
How You Can Lose Weight Like It’s Nothing
You’re Going to Love This War of 1812 Novel!
Do This to Boost Your Brain Power
Before you go trying to put “you” into every single title, “you” can overdo it. Perhaps quite easily.
Remember that variety is the spice of life. So also consider making it personal through a tease or a tempt.
Your ideal customers want something. You know they want something. So hint that they can have that something. Like this:
This 18-Year-Old Struck Gold With Just 5 Growth Stocks
Bridesmaid Shares Best Advice for a Beautiful Shower
Babies Fall Asleep to This Lullaby Every Time
See what I mean? It doesn’t have to flat-out say “you” in order to say "you" are going to benefit.
Have you ever heard the term “listicle”? It’s a really, really stupid-sounding term for a very, very powerful title-creating tool: the combination between a list and an article.
As I explained in a February post:
… People like listicles. They search for them. And they click on them.
Those factors are all big deals for anyone trying to get noticed on the internet. Hence the reason why they’re just as popular among writers as they are among readers.
Here are some examples:
7 Reasons to Add Weight-Lifting to Your Routine
4 Tech Stocks to Avoid at All Costs
9 Ways to Keep Her Happy.
When people see those numbers, they either 1) think they’re getting a lot of information 2) think they’ve found a quick read or – most likely – 3) a combination of the two.
For whatever reason, it sounds appealing. And since people like appealing, there’s a decent chance they’re going to click through…
Provided, of course that Google and the other search engine overlords show it in the first place.
Editor’s Note: Read the next post on SEO title-writing tips here.