When potential customers search online, the first thing they see from your website is your SEO title — that clickable headline that appears on search engine results pages (SERPs). Large businesses have the resources to flood the SERPs with heaps of content. You just don’t have sufficient time and money to use a spray and pray approach like that if you want to attract a decent volume of search traffic. We small businesses can instead get ahead by crafting unique SEO titles.
A good SEO title can make the difference between getting noticed or being lost among competitors. SEO titles not only influence where your pages rank in search results, but also how many people click through to visit your site. And they can allow you to stand out from bigger competitors and reinforce the niche you operate within.
So, let’s make sure you know how to leverage them to grow your business!
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What is an SEO title and why does it matter?
The SEO title is the clickable headline that appears on search engine results pages (SERPs) when users search for relevant terms. It serves as the first impression of your web page, offering both users and search engines insight into the content of your page.
Search engines like Google use SEO titles to understand the context of a page and rank it appropriately. Well-optimised titles can help boost your page’s ranking, making it more likely to appear in front of potential customers. Conversely, poor or generic titles can lead to lower rankings and fewer clicks, which is detrimental for small businesses that rely on search visibility to compete.
Moreover, SEO titles also impact the click-through rate (CTR). When users see a compelling, relevant title in the search results, they’re more likely to click on it, resulting in higher traffic to your website. This makes the SEO title a key element in any small business’s online marketing strategy.
But all of this just tells you why anyone would want good SEO titles. What we’re concerned about here on the K. M. Wade blog is why small businesses like you should care about having good SEO titles.
You know how hard it is to stand out online when you’re competing against the big corporates. Your only chance is to be unique. Well, a well-crafted, unique search listing is one of the quickest and easiest ways to convey what makes your business special. It’s a chance to showcase your unique selling points right from the search results page, enticing potential customers before they even click through to your website.
Moreover, Google’s algorithms prioritise diversity in search results, meaning they prefer to display a variety of content rather than similar pages with near-duplicate titles. By creating distinctive, relevant SEO titles for each of your pages, you increase the likelihood of being featured in more search results, especially for different but related keywords. This can help you claim more valuable real estate in search rankings.
Additionally, unlike larger companies that can rely on brand recognition, small businesses need to capitalise on every opportunity to stand out. Unique SEO titles that highlight the specific products, services, or values you offer give you a competitive edge in search results, helping you connect with the customers who are looking for exactly what you provide. It’s about being seen and making sure your first impression resonates with potential customers — which is crucial for driving growth in competitive online spaces.
In fact, I once had a small business client increase their search traffic by nearly 50% and their profits by a little over 5% just by writing their own SEO-friendly titles. Not a bad return on such a small thing, right?
In short, while SEO titles matter to everyone, they are especially vital for small businesses that need to stand out, might need to attract local traffic, and definitely want to make a lasting impression in a diverse and competitive digital landscape.
Best practices for crafting an SEO-friendly title
Creating an effective SEO title is about more than just including keywords — it’s about crafting a title that attracts both search engines and users.
Technically, you don’t write the SEO title. You write the title tag, which is a little piece of code that tells search engines what you want them to put in their search listings. (Don’t worry, you don’t have to know how to write code to create title tags.) If you don’t write a title tag, search engines will make one up. And if you write a bad title tag, search engines will make one up. And what the search engine writes will be generic and not the best reflection of your uniqueness. Since that uniqueness is what will attract your ideal customers, it’s well worth your while to invest in quality SEO titles.
Here are some best practices to ensure your titles are SEO-friendly and help your small business stand out in search results.
1. Keep the length in check: Search engines typically display only the first 50–60 characters of a title. While there’s no strict rule preventing you from writing a longer title tag, it’s best to keep your title tag within this limit to ensure you don’t end up with a truncated SEO title and also to avoid giving Google a reason to write its own version.
2. Place important keywords early: Search engines give more weight to the beginning of a title tag. So, start your SEO title with your primary keyword, making sure it’s relevant to the page content. This signals to both human users and the search engines what the page is about.
3. Write for humans, not just search engines: While it’s important to include keywords, your SEO title should also be appealing to readers. Make sure your title sounds natural and entices users to click by addressing their needs or offering a solution. For example, a title like ‘Use SEO Titles to Boost your SMB’s Web Traffic | K. M. Wade’ tells small business search users that this is the guide that matches their needs.
4. Avoid keyword stuffing: Although it’s tempting to use as many keywords as possible, overloading your title can lead to penalties from search engines and can deter users. Stick to a single, primary keyword and possibly a secondary keyword if it fits naturally.
5. Create unique titles for each page: Every page on your site should have a unique SEO title. Duplicate titles can contribute to keyword cannibalisation, which results in lower rankings. Each title should reflect the unique content of the page, ensuring that users know exactly what they’re clicking on. If two pages really do warrant the same SEO title, you probably need to combine the pages.
By following these best practices, you’ll create SEO titles that not only improve your page’s ranking but also attract more clicks, helping your small business grow.
Advanced tips for optimising SEO titles for local search
For small businesses, local search — as in searches relating to products, services, and locations in one’s nearby geographic location — is often a crucial component of digital marketing. If your business relies on attracting nearby customers, optimising your SEO titles for local search can make a significant difference to how visible your website is to local audiences. Here are some advanced tips to help you get the most out of your SEO titles in local search results.
1. Incorporate local keywords: Including geographic-specific keywords in your SEO titles is one of the simplest ways to improve local search visibility. For instance, if you run a café in Bentleigh, an SEO title like ‘Best café in Bentleigh for organic coffee’ will help search engines show your page to users searching for cafés specifically in Bentleigh. Similarly, if people in your local area use a particular set of jargon, use that in your title tags even if broader search volumes are higher for an alternative keyword. For example, it doesn’t matter if most people in Australia call a pacifier a ‘dummy’. If you sell handmade dummies to locals only and your local area happens to be a dense pocket of European migrants who call them ‘doodies’, then you need to put ‘doodie’ in your title tag even if the Australian search volume for that term is practically zero.
2. Tailor titles to user intent: Local searchers often have specific intents, such as finding nearby services or learning about local events. Craft your SEO titles to match the intent of your local audience. For example, a plant nursery on the coast might mention that their plants are hardy even in areas of high salinity.
3. Use structured data to boost local relevance: Implementing structured data (schema markup) can help search engines better understand your local business and show your site more prominently in search results. While structured data itself isn’t part of the title tag, it can work in tandem with your SEO titles to improve your site’s ranking for local queries.
By implementing these advanced tips, you can improve your chances of ranking highly in local searches, driving more local traffic, and ultimately boosting business growth.
Crafting unique SEO titles to boost your small business growth
For small businesses looking to grow their online presence, creating unique, well-optimised SEO titles is a simple yet highly effective strategy. A good SEO title not only helps your pages rank higher in search results but also improves click-through rates, especially in specific niches, bringing more potential customers to your website. By understanding the importance of SEO titles, following best practices, and tailoring your titles for local search, your business can stand out in a crowded digital landscape.When you’re ready to take your SEO skills to the next level, check out our course on writing better search listings. You’ll discover an easy-to-use process for crafting compelling title tags as well as the other aspects of your search listing. Sign up now and start optimising your business for success today.