Your blog can be a powerful tool in driving traffic to your website, establishing yourself as a thought leader within your industry, and converting leads to customers, but standing out in a crowded digital world can be challenging. To create a blog post that ranks well in search results and resonates with readers, you'll need to utilize SEO best practices and capture your reader's attention quickly and effectively.

So how do you cater to Google and the short attention span of online readers? You need to create compelling, targeted blog titles. No matter how valuable or well-written your content is, it won't be read or ranked if your post title doesn't capture attention and succinctly let readers know what the content is about. Here are three easy steps to have your blog titles attracting reader's attention and ranking well in search results.

Keep Your Titles Short and Sweet

Your blog titles should be a snapshot of what the content within the blog is about and give readers and idea of what to expect. Ideally, your blog titles should be under 70 characters. Any longer and your title will get cut off in search results, which can impact a reader's understanding of the content you're offering, particularly if you've put the topic of your blog at the end of the title. 

Include Your Keyword in the Title

Keywords are a crucial component of how search engine algorithms find relevant content for queries. If you're writing a blog post about durable dog toys and including those keywords and related phrases throughout your content but you don't include your keywords in the title, a search engine is unlikely to feature your blog post when a user searches for durable toys. 

Aim for Accurate and Engaging

Most importantly, your blog title needs to reflect what the blog is about. Start with a working title featuring your topic or keywords and return to your title after your content is created. Once you have your post on the page it's easier to determine if your working title fits the content you've written and if you can make it more engaging.

Consider a recent search you've made online and the result you chose. Why did you click on that link over others? Oftentimes, it comes down to which title answers the question you're trying to solve, provided the exact information you were looking for, or which title was the most engaging. When writing your own blog titles, start by making sure the value or solution that you're offering is clear. Then spice it up to make your title stand out among the competition. 

Blogging is a powerful tool in your marketing toolbox, but only if you're using your blog strategically to rank in search engines and provide value to your readers. Want to make sure your blog is hitting the mark? Download our blog checklist and see how your content checks out!