The Web Usability Blog» Writing for the web | Webwriting |Webcopywriting

Title and description tags: a complete guide

Els Aerts — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:42:14 +0000

1. What is a title tag?

The title tag determines the name of a web page as it appears in Google. The content of the title tag plays an important part in the ranking a page gets in Google and Bing.

2. What is a description tag?

The description tag is a text of maximum 155 characters long that says what a page is about. Because Google often shows the description tag, it’s a great tool to persuade people to visit your page.

In our article ‘what is a description tag and why is it so important’ you can read in detail what Google does with the description tag and when it is and isn’t shown.

3. Title and description tag create the first impression

When making a website, a lot of attention always goes to the look & feel of the website in general and to the homepage in particular. While this is certainly very important, it’s not true that you need to do this in order to ‘make a good first impression’.

For more than half of your visitors, their first contact with you is not your homepage. Or any other page of your website, for that matter. The first contact, the first impression, is made by the title and description tag shown in Google.

4. How can you find out what your title and description tags are?

There are lots of seo-programmes that can do this for you. But there’s also Google. Just type in ’site:’ followed by your domain name and you’ll get the complete list of the title and description tags of all your pages.

On the international website of Citroën, there’s room for improvement. The title tags are clearly not specific enough. For the description tag, they seem to have written some fluffy marketing nonsense and used that for most pages.

5. Tips for the perfect title tag

If you read our article 8 tips for the perfect title tag you should be well on your way to writing great title tags.

While you’re at it, have a look at our 4 examples of clumsy title tags too. Just so you know what not to do.

6. Tips for the perfect description tag

The description tag does not influence your ranking in Google. But it is essential to get people to click on your page, as this interesting user behaviour study on search engine results pages shows.

These 12 tips for the perfect description tag will help you write great description tags that will get more visitors to your pages.

7. How to track down doubles in your title or description tags?

Google doesn’t like title tags or description tags that are the same for more than one page of your website. It’s clear why: Google uses the title and description tags to find out whether or not a page has unique content.

The first thing you need to do is make sure every page of your website has a unique title and description tag.

The Google Webmaster Tools can help you track down doubles in your title or description tags.

Log in to Google Webmaster Tools and select your website (or add your website if you haven’t done that yet). Go to the left menu, click on ‘Diagnostics’ and then on ‘HTML suggestions’.

The report on this page gives you access to double tags and it also shows you the title and description tags that are too long or too short.

Do you know of any other best practices, tools or studies on the importance of the title or description tag? Please share them in the comments.

Description tag: what is it and why is it so important?

Els Aerts — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:47:18 +0000

What is a description tag ?

The description tag is a piece of html code that’s meant to give a short – you guessed it – description of a web page. The description tag is at the top of the page in the section of the code.

In code, a description tag looks like this:

Not visible on your web page

The description tag of a web page is not visible on the page itself. That’s why a lot of companies don’t pay it much attention.

Google shows the description tag

Google likes the description tag. If a web page has a description tag, Google shows it, provided these 2 conditions are met:

Semantic similarity between the description tag and the content of the web page
Significant similarity between the user’s search query and the content of the description tag

Example 1

I looked for ‘title tag’. Google shows the page’s description tag because it contains my query ‘title tag’.

Example 2

I looked for ‘page title’. Because the description tag does not contain my query, Google doesn’t show it. Instead, Google shows a sentence fragment on the page that does contain the query.

What does Google do if you don’t have a description tag?

If a page doesn’t have a description tag, Google usually shows sentence fragments on the page that contain the user’s query.

If your website is in the Open Directory Project (DMOZ) and your homepage doesn’t have a description tag, there’s quite a big chance that Google will use the description of your website in the DMOZ.

Example

Cortex abc is in the Open Directory Project. This description was made by someone at Open Directory Project.

Because the homepage of Cortex abc doesn’t have a description tag, Google uses the description of the Open Directory Project database.

And apparently that description was written quite a while ago. If you visit Cortex abc’s website today, you can see it doesn’t really fit the description anymore.

Does the description tag affect my ranking in Google?

No, it doesn’t. Google ignores the description tag’s content when it comes to ranking. The description tag will not help you to score better in Google.

Does the description tag matter, if Google doesn’t use it for its ranking?

Yes, it absolutely does. Which result people click on in Google is affected by the result’s title and the extra bit of information that appears underneath the title.

Thanks to our 8 tips for the perfect title tag you should have the title pretty much covered.

The ‘extra bit of information’ that Google shows about a page can be the description tag. Good copywriting can convince people to click on your page rather than your competitor’s, even though he is maybe ranked one or two spots higher than you are.

How do you write a good description tag?

Good question. Let me get back to you on that one.

CMSs don’t manage websites – people do

Els Aerts — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:10:16 +0000

Creating content is fun

The great thing about a content management system (CMS) is that it makes it really easy to create and publish content on your website.

So that’s what most webmasters and editors do: they create and publish content like there’s no tomorrow.

Cause it’s fun. And it’s what they’re being paid to do.

They’re often judged on the amount of content they produce. The number of pages and articles they put online. A nice and easy box to tick during the annual evaluation talk.

Managing content is boring

If you’re responsible for the quality of your company’s website, your main task should not be publishing new content. You should be managing and improving the content you’ve already got.

It’s less fun than creating new content. But it’s vital if you want to have a website that works.

It’s like Gerry McGovern says: “You’re not being paid to have fun. You’re being paid to run a good website.”

6 essential questions and tasks for every content manager

If you can answer yes to the following questions, you’re a good content manager.

Is the content on your website up to date? Are you sure there’s not a single page you haven’t looked at in over a year? (For convenience’s sake, we’ll leave your news and blog articles out of this. Even though ideally you should have a look at those once in a while as well.)
Are there no pages with overlapping or contradictory content on your website?
Are your texts clear? Are they written with your visitors in mind? Are they really? Did you research that or are you just saying yes because that’s what you think?
Do you have a list of all pages that were hardly visited over the last 6 months? Did you analyse those pages and try to figure out the reasons why?
Do you know the bounce rates of the 100 most popular pages on your website? Have you looked into the pages with unusually high bounce rates and developed alternative pages? And then checked to see if those performed any better?
If you’ve got landing pages, have you checked whether they are really contributing to your website’s goal? Have you tried changing them? And then checked again?

Can you answer yes to all of these questions?
Congratulations, you are either a great content manager or a fantastic liar.

You can only answer yes to less than 3 questions?
Don’t sweat it. Your competitors aren’t doing any better.

If you would do better though, that would really make a difference. Not adding new content on your website or doing a flashy new redesign.

Yeah but, isn’t that why we got a content management system?

Management’s reaction to content-related issues often is:”We’ve invested heavily in a state of the art content management system. We don’t have to do all this stuff by hand now, do we?”

Yes, you do. A CMS allows you to publish content and to assign it to a particular place or places on your website. You can add a publishing date and an expiration date as well. Hurray.

But that’s about as far as it goes when it comes to ‘managing content’.

A CMS won’t tell you that the page you’re writing is a piece of fluff nobody is interested in.

A CMS won’t tell you that what you’re writing looks suspiciously like 5 other pages you’ve already got.

A CMS won’t tell you which pages are really working for you and which ones are just dead weight.

A content manager’s job

80% of a content manager’s time should be devoted to managing and improving existing content
20% should go towards creating new content

You don’t like that? Tough.

4 examples of clumsy title tags

Els Aerts — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:08:43 +0000

A little while ago, we talked about 8 tips for the perfect title tag.

Which provides us with a good excuse to also show you some examples of what not to do.

1. The root of all evil

2. Must remember to enter title tag. Very important!

3. Final countdown? Final homapge!

4. Friendly, but not really saying much

As you can see, our 8 tips for the perfect title tag could be useful for some people.

Have you seen a title tag that made you laugh? Or cry?

Share it in the comments or email me.

8 tips for the perfect title tag

Els Aerts — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:08:53 +0000

What is a title tag?

The title tag determines the name of a web page. Title tags are mostly visible in Google and in the browser.

Google
The page title Google shows is a page’s title tag. The same goes for Bing.

Browser
The title tag appears in the browser title bar and the browser tabs. When you add a page to your favorites or when you share a page via social media, the title tag is what apppears as the page title.

Is the title tag important?

You bet it is. The title tag is one of the most important things to get right if you want to do well in Google. It’s not the only thing but if you neglect your title tags you’re making it very hard on yourself.

Tips for a good title tag

1. Use no more than 66 characters

Search engines only show a limited number of characters of the title tag. Google shows the first 66 characters. After that, it simply adds an ellipsis (…). If you want your title tags to look professional, don’t use more than 66 characters.
Short titles are easier to read than long ones.
The less words there are in your title tag, the more value Google attributes to each word. As a consequence, it’s easier for a keyword to score well in a title tag of 4 words than it is in a title tag of 8 words. This is called keyword density.

2. Make sure your title tag accurately describes your page

The title tag should contain the keyword you want to score with for that page.
Make sure you use that keyword somewhere on the page itself.
Use a keyword your visitors use. It’s nice to do well in Google but if it’s with a word nobody uses it’s not really going to do you any good.

3. Think about what you want the page to do

Make sure the title tag and content of the page correspond with the reasons people visit that page.
‘Netbooks: reviews of the fastest models’ will appeal to a different audience and create different expectations than ‘Cheap netbooks’.

4. Put the keyword first

Google reportedly attributes more value to the first word in a title tag than the last one.
Jakob Nielsen’s research shows that the first 11 characters determine whether someone continues to read on or not.

5. Don’t forget to mention your brand name

Putting your brand name in the title tag isn’t all that important if you’re a small company. But if you’re one of the leading players in your field, it’s a good idea to mention your brand name in your title tags.
Wa advise most companies to put their brand name last. Only on your homepage should your brand name be first.
If you’re an absolute top brand that the majority of people knows and trusts, it can be interesting to start your title tags with your brand name.

6. Separate your brand name from the page title

Use a vertical dash (|) or hyphen (-) to separate your brand name from the actual page title.

7. Write attractive title tags

If you stuff the title tag full of keywords, you’ll probably score well in Google. But it will make your title tag unattractive and people won’t click on it. So you’re kind of missing the point.
For a lot of people, the title tag is their first introduction to your brand. Make sure you make a good first impression.
Your web page’s title tag appears in a list with other search results. Make sure it stands out.

8. Unique for every page

Each page of your web site should have a unique title tag. If you can’t decide what a page is really about, how is Google supposed to know?

How can you adapt your title tags?

That depends on your website. Hopefully, you’re using a content management system (CMS) that lets you adapt the title tag of every page manually.

If you’re choosing a new CMS, make sure it allows you to do that. If you want to do well in Google, it’s vital.

More tips?

Do you have some more tips for good title tags? Feel free to add them in the comments section.

Stop the presses – we’ve got a new website!

Els Aerts — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:59:32 +0000

I’m amazed how many companies still think it’s necessary to announce the redesign of their site on the homepage.

Example 1

“As I may have noticed? How could anyone overlook a makeover of such magnitude? You’re rocking a whole new look! And a new navigation!

By the way, don’t sweat the little stuff. You know, like pages still in progress and losing my password. I’ll check back frequently to see if you’ve got it all sorted out. And register again. Happily.

I mean, it’s not like I have a life or anything.”

Example 2(.0)

“Oh my God. I had always hoped you guys would go 2.0. And now, after 2 years of strugling (not quite sure what that is but it sounds like hard work), you’ve gone and done it.

A better news section and even an agenda. You know, I thought you’d start with something simple but no… 2.0 all the way.

And on top of all that: improved SEO. Well, that is just the cherry on the cake.

Thanks, guys.”

Why is an announcement about your new site a bad idea?

Nobody cares
I understand that you’ve worked hard on your new website. For you and your team, getting the damn thing online is very important news. But it isn’t for your visitors.If you think it is, you need to have a big slice of humple pie. Because really, it totally isn’t.
Half of the people who visit your site are probably there for the first time. They don’t even know what your site looked like before.
And admit it, even your most faithful visitors probably only spend a couple of hours a year on your website. Don’t hassle them with news they don’t care about.
It’s not news, it’s your job
People who come to your website expect to find what they’re looking for fast. They expect your navigation to be user-friendly. And your check-out process to be swift.
Constantly updating and improving your website is not news. It’s your job.
It makes you lose money
Usually, the ‘news’ about a website redesign is put on one of the most important pages of a site: on the homepage, above the pagefold, in the top left side of the content area.
A lot of the time, that message pushes the site’s real content, the products and services people visit the site for, the stuff that actually makes them money, out of sight.
If people can’t see what you’ve got to offer, they’ll leave. And visit your competitor. Who doesn’t bore them with news they couldn’t care less about.

Anchor links: do’s and don’ts

Els Aerts — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:44:07 +0000

Sub-headings make pages easier to scan, everybody knows that. Not everybody knows that on long pages, anchor links or jump links are even better.

During user tests, the response to anchor links is always positive. People like anchor links because they give them a good overview of the content of a page and help them to quickly go to that part of the page that interests them most.

What are anchor links?

Anchor links, also called jump links or in-page links, are links that lead to another part of the page. If someone clicks on an anchor link, he doesn’t go to a new page but to another part of the same page.

When to use anchor links?

Anchor links are only interesting on longer pages. Pages where not all sub-headings are visible without scrolling in a screen resolution of 1024×768 (still the most used resolution).

Just to be clear: anchor links are best used on end pages or detail pages. The page about a certain product, service, etc.

How do users feel about anchor links?

They like them. But only if a website uses them correctly: like a type of page-index.

During our tests, we see that around 1 user out of 10 is not familiar with anchor links. But even they, when they click on them, know what they are and like them.

The basics

Put the anchor links at the top of the page, directly below the page heading, as a type of page-index.
Respect the rules of clickability.
Make sure the words you use in the anchor links are exactly the same as the words in the sub-headings they refer to.
Make sure the sub-headings are recognizable as key elements of the page.
Make sure the sub-heading the first anchor link refers to is visible without scrolling.
Put a link ‘Top’ or ‘Top of page’ on the same line as the sub-heading. Add a little arrow that points to the top if you want to. Right-align this link.
Make sure the anchor links jump to the right sub-heading in every commonly used screen resolution. This may mean you have add white space at the bottom of the page.

This is how to use anchor links

This is how not to use anchor links

1. Text between the anchor links and the 1st sub-heading

There’s a piece of text between the anchor links and the 1st sub-heading. Now, what are the chances of that ever getting read? Minimal. If that text is necessary, give it a sub-heading and put it at the top of your list of anchor links.

2. Anchor links combined with other links

What’s the difference between all these links?

The links at the top are navigation links that refer to pages on a deeper level.
The link in the middle refers to a related page.
The bottom links are anchor liks that refer to paragraphs lower on the page.

If you mix links up like this, people will not like your anchor links. But then again, chances are they won’t like your site much either.

Copywriting tips for a better website

Els Aerts — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 04:10:37 +0000

Here’s the presentation I gave on WebScene 2009.

“Content is king”, you often hear. That’s true. This presentation drives that message home once more.

Tip: for a full screen view, click the second to last icon at the bottom right.

8 writing tips to increase the impact of your website

Problems?

No Flash on your computer?
SlideShare blocked by your firewall?

Don’t panic. We’ll talk about the tips in detail over the coming weeks.

Shameless advertising
Have a look at our writing for the web seminars.

Meaningful links: a must

Els Aerts — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:37:45 +0000

For over 10 years now, usability experts have been saying links need to be meaningful. Meaningful links help surfers to scan a page, drive clicking behaviour and enhance conversion rates.

And yet, websites and blogs are still littered with “Click here” and “Read more” links. Here’s a little reminder, and a few examples, why meaningful links are so important.

1. Why meaningful links?

Links stand out
Because links are underlined and a different colour, they stand out. They’re like little anchors for the eye. If our brain registers things like “Click here” and “Read more“, that’s not very helpful. Links like “Usability workshop” or “One-day user test” are far more useful. Surfers know what to expect when they click these links.
Google likes meaningful links
When indexing pages Google not only takes into account the words on the page itself but also the words in the links to that page. A link to a “Usability workshop” helps that page score better for the words “usability” and “workshop”.
Visually impaired users
Visually impaired users also scan web pages. Not with their eyes but by jumping from link to link with special software. The links appear on the braille reader or are read out. No prizes for guessing which sort of links they prefer.

2. Tips

Avoid links that only say “Click here”, “Read more” or similar things.
Make sure a link says something about the page it refers to.
Titles of articles on home- and overview pages should be clickable. That way, you don’t even need a “Read more” link at the end.
Put the most important words first, to play into surfers’ scanning behaviour.

3. Examples

Better: “Find an Invisalign doctor near you.”

Better: Leave out the “More” link and simply make the title clickable.