Web Savvy

SEO expert says make your title POP! (Part 1 of 2)

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

By Kay B. Day

Published: February 15, 2011

Kay B. Day

We may as well admit it. Gone are the days when a writer could stick to simple maxims. You remember the drill, right? Compose the article on a specific topic and stick to a requested length. Meanwhile, stack it with the big stuff up top and work your way down in case your words get cut. Those criteria still apply, but there’s more, so much more.

SEO is an acronym for the term “search engine optimization. Writers who provide content for websites soon learn a lesson born of technology. SEO will impact how many readers click on your link to see what you have to say, and it’s a critical process for showing up in the top ten links a search engine provides.

When you optimize content for search engines, you improve your content in hopes of getting it to rank higher in search engines for targeted keywords. Those words comprise the main thrust of your article. For instance, obviously “SEO” is a primary keyword for this article. Even the term “keywords” is a key word for what you’re reading.

SEO guru Peter Roesler loves his work but said his sons are his "pride and joy," one reason he selected a personal photo rather than a "corporate shot."

SEO expert Peter Roesler cuts to the chase. Asked for a tip for a freelancer who wants to prepare an article with SEO in mind, he said, “The title is more important than the content with SEO. Make sure your title is fascinating and it encourages people to open it.” Roesler also shared what works. “’Top 10 tips’ or ‘Top 10 reasons’—those always perform well in search and virally. Be creative, have fun and make that title POP!”

That single piece of advice hit home for me. For years I crafted titles based purely on creative impulses, sometimes even using terms from oft-quoted poems or songs. I began to notice one particular newspaper editor who used my content in both the print and online editions always changed my titles. I did some research and soon figured out why. The changes were all about the search engines.

Roesler’s background includes extensive experience in marketing, social media and SEO. He has worked across the nation with small and large corporations who want to improve their overall Internet standing and brand. He said he actually enjoys the “continual challenge” SEO presents and he points out that even experts need to stay up to date about methods and standards.

It seems to me SEO is similar to buzz. One person mentions a bit of news to someone who’s influential and that person carries the message forward. People share what inspires them, what makes them happy or even angry. Roesler said, “SEO is a popularity contest because the most talked about website or content gets the highest rankings.”

In some ways this seems unfair to those of us who carefully craft our words according to traditional standards. But we want people to read what we write. Consider the sheer numbers a search engine like Bing or Google confronts—billions of Web pages and vast numbers of search engine queries, too. Furthermore, we can no longer assume our audience is strictly English-speaking. Google provides services in more than 100 languages and users can translate pages from one language to another.

Many people assume optimization means inserting keywords in abundance. We writers are notorious for our enthusiasm. It’s tempting to go overboard trying to use keywords in the lead, middle and conclusion. But Roesler, owner of Web Marketing Pros, offers a caution. “Don’t overdo it. One of the biggest mistakes people make with SEO is that they go keyword crazy and they lose the message in those keywords. You don’t have to add your keyword over and over to rank on search engines—don’t even worry about writing the keyword more than once. Once is more than enough.”

Search engines, in sort of a convoluted way, appreciate the value of our content. So do our readers. “Your message,” Roesler said, “is more important than ranking. If you have an overstuffed keyword page, your visitors won’t spend any am

What’s the good news about SEO for writers? The quality of your content does count and your talent still matters.

Additional Reading

• Web Marketing Pros
Peter Roesler's corporate website

• SEOgodfather.com
Peter Roesler's personal website, including a blog full of useful information

In Part 2, we’ll look at the other tools used in search engine optimization and we’ll explore terms like white hat and black hat. Roesler also offers a generous freebie to Web Savvy readers, so be sure to join us!

Florida journalist Kay B. Day has won awards for poetry, nonfiction and fiction. The author of two books, she has written for The Christian Science Monitor, United Press International, The Florida Times-Union and Sky News. To learn more about Kay Day, see www.kayday.com. To read Kay's other Web Savvy columns about writing for the Web, click here.

Popularity counts in SEO, Part 2 of 2

User Comments

Only registered members of WriterMag.com are allowed to comment on this article. Registration is FREE and only takes a couple minutes.

Register Today!

Sandy, great tips! Thanks so much for sharing with Web Savvy. best, KBD

Submitted: 3/30/2011 11:24:29 AM (CST)

As a writer and web designer I know titles can be tricky. Most of my titles for published articles have been changed whether for print or the web. Content is another matter. But it does matter and it should tie in nicely with the title. However, if you use too many keywords on your web pages, it's overkill. The rule is, or was, if you use more than four of the same or similar words like "writer" and "writes" the search engines ignore it. It's something to think about when writing content for the web. Think of it as editing and make the most out of the words you do use. That being said there is also a description tag where key phrases are used and search engines also look at them. Again, we need to think about our audience and how best to reach them.

Submitted: 3/14/2011 9:00:40 AM (CST)

Steven, I appreciate your weighing in on this. I did find a diversity of opinion when I did my research--all views from experts are welcome here. Thank you for sharing that with my readers. best, Kay B. Day

Submitted: 3/1/2011 11:52:26 AM (CST)

As a writer with a background in SEO, web marketing and content development for websites, I must disagree with Mr. Roesler’s claim that “the title is more important than the content with SEO.”

Although a fascinating title for an article does encourage clicks and reader engagement, the content must be as fascinating as the title – otherwise your readers will cut their interest short and they will also be much less likely to share that article link around to their friends and co-workers (we call this link juice, it’s something to be coveted and cultivated).

For example: If I encourage you to try a slice of delicious chocolate cake, the title of that suggestion gets you salivating. But if the content of the chocolate cake was not well thought through (let’s assume it tastes like dirt), the experience will certainly leave a bad taste in your mouth and you will not suggest my chocolate cake to any of your friends. Eventually, my bakery closes for lack of business.

Content is king. Titles are merely supportive. Think it through.

Submitted: 2/23/2011 10:59:12 AM (CST)

Free Newsletter

Get our free newsletter

Web Savvy

SEO expert says make your title POP! (Part 1 of 2)

Related Articles

User Comments