Hello, my name is Zach, SEO Specialist, and today I’m here to talk about SEO-optimized titles. So, everything that you really knew about writing titles to rank inside of Google has now changed.

Now, if we want to actually rank on page one of Google, we need to do it differently. Okay, so what do I mean by this? Google has flipped the game on its head, and it’s now time to adjust. 

1. You Don't Have To Include Exact-Match Keyword

The secret is in writing better titles, and I’m going to show you precisely how to do that. Now, let me begin with what I refer to as “focus techniques.” 

If you were trying to rank for the term “focus techniques,” you’re going to find that many page titles don’t actually include the exact phrase “focus techniques.” 

This is what we call an exact-match keyword, and in olden times, it was required in your title in order to be able to rank .

But that’s no longer the case. Now, let me show you how to rank for your keyword without using the exact match in the title. 

Related: Top SEO mistakes you should stop making.

Google is rewarding pages for some queries that don’t even include the keyword-that’s huge.  Now, let’s talk about practices that are outdated.

If you’ve done SEO for a while, you may know older techniques, such as using the exact match keyword at the front of the title, keeping titles short, and even keyword stuffing through separating terms by dashes. That used to work; it is outdated. 

Actually, many websites still use these techniques, which will be to your advantage. You can outsmart them by implementing the new ranking rules on Google. So, what has changed? Before, titles needed to have an exact keyword match right from the start and as short as possible.

More: Checkout these SEO newbie mistakes to not make in your career.

Now, that is no longer the case. You may still notice some pages ranking out of those old techniques, but for the most part, Google is wiser. It rewards more natural, conversational titles rather than keyword-stuffed titles. 

For example, that kind of “buy viagra online” and “how to talk to girls” type of titles, which rank very well in the past, would not do as good today. 

Similarly, you’d see titles stuffed with locations-locational keyword stuffing, if you will-such as “best hotels in Las Vegas, Cancun, New York”; but that’s the opposite of what you want to do today. 

The most important changes include the usage of exact match keywords. While still relevant in some instances, they are no longer the rule.

Let’s say you’re targeting “fancy leather jackets”. An old title might have been “buy fancy leather jackets online”, but today that’s not necessarily the right way to go. 

Google has changed; it now rewards pages that don’t rely on an exact match. Instead, it looks out for better titles that depict the search intent. Take a search for “breathing techniques”. 

The number one result probably wouldn’t even use the word “techniques” at all. Now Google’s use of AI to understand queries, and returns results that best match the search-even if the wording in those results don’t exactly match your search phrase. 

So, how do we adapt? CTR became more important than ever.

Even though the specific words in the title mean less now, you still have to write a title which actually persuades people to click. 

A title which makes people curious or promises them value is way more likely to rank well. A good example of this may be: instead of having the title “Does Vitamin C Work?”, you can rephrase it into a more appealing one like “Can Vitamin C Prevent or Cure Colds? 

What the Latest Studies Say.” This doesn’t only answer the question but also creates curiosity, therefore increasing CTR and ranking you higher. The other point to consider is keyword length. 

Shorter keywords, like “best drones,” are going to appear more in an exact title, while longer keywords might be broken up into chunks. 

Using a long-tail keyword such as “types of printing material,” you’d see variations where the words are spread out rather than necessarily in order. 

That’s where Google’s understanding of context and related words comes in. Whereas links and on-page optimization remain very important, the click-through ability of a title is more and more going to be a crucial building block of ranking. 

Of course, you can rank with an average title when you have great backlinks and quality content backing it, but why settle for an average if you can create one that’s compelling and clickable? Consider this: the keyword is the question, and your title is the start of the answer.

2. Focus on Titles That Get Clicks

Now, the rewritten rules of writing SEO titles have to do with click-through rates, natural language, and curiosity. Keyword exact matches are no longer default, to which you should be adapting; instead, focus on what Google is rewarding: titles that get clicks. 

Going forward, always know what ranks for your keyword and use that as a guideline to create your title.

The root word in your keyword is critical to creating a title that will yield good search engine ranking results.

What is essential is finding this word, which is the most important word that should be there on the title at all costs.

For example, when “nice printing paper” is your keyword, it is common practice to notice that Google neglects “nice” or “printing” and only gives more emphasis to the word “paper,” which is the root word. 

You can utilize Google’s natural language processing to determine what that root word is by typing in your keyword. While it may work for approximately 90% of the scenarios, it is not going to be the most exact for Google’s search engine. 

This is just a quick little trick to help you figure out what that first keyword could be. To exemplify this with an example, “bitcoin” is the root word accompanying “mine” in the search, “how to mine bitcoin.”. 

The presence of the root word in the title is the main point for better ranking. Sometimes, the titles play a more vital role in ranking than even backlinks. A page with a better title, even with fewer backlinks, may outrank others simply because of its CTR.

Meaning, a headline like “Bitcoin Mining: How to Mine – Complete Guide” will be more appealing than a headline like “How to Mine Bitcoin” and may even rank higher with fewer links. 

But remember, optimization of titles alone will not always work for the first position if your competitors have stronger backlinks or higher domain authority; in that case, they will outrank you even if their headlines are not as appealing. 

3. Use Complementary Keywords

When building your title, take the root word and add in complementary and relevant words. Oftentimes, related words can be synonyms or words that Google identifies as related.

Example: If you’re trying to find “breathing techniques,” Google may highlight related terms such as “breathing exercises.” That adds relevance to your title-which will improve CTR and rankings. 

The same thing happens if you use words like “stress” or “relax” in your title dealing with breathing techniques because those terms are associated directly with breathing techniques. 

In including such associated words, your titles become more natural and appealing. Another factor important to realize CTR, although an exact keyword match is not always necessary, is the word order within the title. You can shuffle them around while still maintaining relevance.

4. Change Word Order

Using the keyword “3D printing materials,” one could make such titles as “Printing Materials for 3D Projects” or “Materials for 3D Printing at Home,” all of which retain relevance. 

Changing the word order helps make titles more clickable and appealing, hence improving your ranking even when the exact keyword is scattered throughout the title. 

The perfect title will always have the root word and, at the same time, be optimized for CTR using relevant and related terms. A good title, for example, should be something like “Poker: How to Play and Win – Rules, Tips, and Strategies.” 

Here, you don’t just use the root word “poker,” but more attractive complementary words like “rules,” “tips,” and “strategies” that make it even more clickable.

With a title like “How to Mine Bitcoin,” you could use something such as “Bitcoin Mining: How to Mine–Complete Guide” to make sure you’ve ticked all the boxes while still making the title as appealing as possible. 

5. Optimize Title For CTR

In all, the ideal title is made up of a root word, optimization for CTR, and the use of related/complementary words. You can scramble the words to make it catchier without losing its relevance.

Shorter keywords can use the exact match in the title, while longer ones are better combined with related terms in a natural structure. 

With this, if you need some tool to assist you in this respect, SEO tools like a mega on-page tool can automatically provide you with suggestions on best-related words as titles. 

Titles are but pieces of the puzzle, but once nailed accurately, they give you a better and broader chance over competitors, especially when they had solid backlinks with strong on-page optimization behind them.

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