SEO and user experience (UX) are the backbones of any effective content marketing strategy.
If you want to grow your online presence, you’ve probably already melted your brain with too much information on how to write blog posts for SEO. But do you feel you have acquired the practical skills to write an eye-catching title that will stop people from scrolling in their tracks and beg them to click your link amongst the hundreds of other search engine results pages?
If not, you have stumbled upon the only optimization guide you’ll ever need to write blog post titles that drive traffic and convert fans to your product or service. Titles are arguably the most significant factor when it comes to writing a successful blog post. It is important to tackle why titles are important for both SEO and user experience.
The Importance of SEO and User Experience Writing
According to the digital marketing experts at Exults Marketing, the secret to writing effective blog posts is mastering the art of pleasing both search engine crawlers and readers.
That’s right– crawlers and readers have formed a symbiotic relationship within the internet ecosystem to enhance the value of content online, defined as SEO and UX (user experience) in the digital marketing world.
But how do we know what search engine crawlers and readers are looking for and how do we use that information to infuse UX/SEO best writing practices in our blog posts?
Why Titles are Important For SEO & UX?
Let’s start with people first, because that is where all content marketing should start.
Titles are important for people because people want to know what your content is about as fast as possible. In fact, the title is the strongest indicator of CTR (click-through rate, a.k.a. how many people click on your link to read your blog post).
Titles are heavily weighted by search engines because a good title will tell crawlers right off the bat exactly what your content is about. The easier you make it for search engines to connect your answer to someone’s question, the higher crawlers are going to rank you for the people you are targeting. (It’s all in the algorithms!)
So this begs the question… how do we create amazing titles?
How to Write Optimized Blog Titles
We have three tips on how to create titles that will make online surfers want to smash the link to your blog post. We include examples of how we come up with our own titles for each tip!
Optimize Titles for Keywords Based on Inquiries
After having put yourself in your target persona’s shoes, it is time to optimize your title for the keywords you are trying to rank for (based on the questions your target persona is asking in their search engine).
Because many search queries are in the form of questions, you’ll find that the highest-ranking articles on any subject have their titles set up as questions. This is especially relevant for video content, where how-to searches on YouTube continue to grow 70% year after year.
Additional Factors to Consider When Creating a Title
Everyone’s attention span is short, regardless of the topic you are talking about. You want to make sure that titles are:
- EXPLANATORY: They explain exactly what the person will find in your article.
- INTRIGUING: They present the idea/solution in a memorable way that makes your content stand out.
- ACTION INCITING: They show how the post will give readers immediate results for whatever they are searching for.
- SUCCINCT: They are short and to the point. Do steps 1-3 in the least amount of words you can!
For example, a good title for a blog post trying to intrigue people to download an investment application could be:
How to Put More Money in Your Pocket Using Mobile Investment Apps
First, notice how there had to be a clear goal for this hypothetical blog post to come up with a title – make sure you get this part down first. The same goes for your keyword strategy.
Then, notice how our title:
- Explains what will be learned in the article
- Intrigues people by connecting money and a phone to a pocket
- Incites action by showing what the reader will be getting (more money and convenience)
- Is succinct as possible
Sometimes readers want a one-sentence answer, while other times they want an entire guide. Words like “a quick overview…” or “a complete guide on…” saves users the step of having to click on your article and read the introduction only to find out your article is not the one for them.
In fact, crawlers actually dock points for misleading titles – if they see your article has an extremely short dwell time (the amount of time a user stays on your page), they will assume that readers did not find what they were searching for and penalize your article accordingly for that particular inquiry.
Yet another benefit of having an easy title that explains exactly what your blog post will be about!
That’s a lot to think about but that’s also why titles should be drafted several times and should be thought through thoroughly. At the end of the day, your title should be benefit-driven and show the reader you are going to provide the most value for their click.
