SEO-optimized titles or interesting titles?

by tileeba

Posted: 9 years ago 17 replies

Hello! I might not be asking this question in the right forum, as this one is dedicated specifically to SEO; but I have this huge dilema, and I'd really appreciate it if you guys could help me out here, or at least point me to where I should ask this question.

I create daily mini-podcast (5 minutes) with sentences, vocabulary, and tips for ESL (English as a Second Language) students. I have about 8,000 subscribers to my list; and I feel that my "unique voice" in the market is to be personable and to create mini-podcasts that relate to my life and day-to-day activities while teaching them English. http://www.domineingles.com.br/

So this is my dilema: I prefer to create interesting titles to my posts like "What I learned with my dog today"; and "My students did it again!", etc., that are related to my "story" and which will draw my subscribers to listen to the mini-podcast. (I know those were probably poor examples of "interesting titles", but you get my idea. :-) )

However, my competitors are writing posts like "How to use the verb to be", and "How to say _____ in English", etc.; which are more google searchable.

If I post titles like that, it will increase my SEO, but I feel it will take away from my "unique voice".

So should I go with "how to say _______" and "how to use the verb ____" for SEO purposes, or keep the more story-like titles to keep things interesting for my listeners? Your opinion will be very much appreciated. Thank you!

#interesting #seo-optimized #seooptimized #titles

dalecosp 9 years ago

What an excellent question!

Is there any chance you can do both?

"Mysite: I walked my dog today --- verb use"

or

"Mysite: verb usage --- I walked my dog today"

?

I'm really not sure. What we did in a very different field was simply make sure that our titles matched the product on the page ... and then tried to get lots of long-tail products.....
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mikhailblaze 9 years ago

Great question.

I'm a copywriter by profession and yes, creating titles suck. You'd spend an hour thinking about the title, and spend 30 minutes writing a 500-word article.

The easy answer would be to go for SEO-oriented titles, because hey, your goal is to be found in SERPs, right?

However, ask yourself, who are you writing/recording podcasts for? Are you writing for Google's bots or for your readers/listeners?

If you have a strong subscriber base, I'd recommend staying with your "unique voice".

Remember though, you could always do both. For example, you're giving a vocabulary lesson:

"Our Dilemma : Using the Word Dilemma in English"

"English Conundrum: Tell me Your Conundrums"

Or something like any of these.

Here's an entry that'll also help you out: Should You Trust Free Headline Analyzers?

Personally though, I think the most important thing a title or a headline must do is to prompt a sense of excitement to your readers, or better yet, encourage them to take action.
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alvinchua91 9 years ago

It'll be best to do both when it comes to blog posts.

Ideally, have the 'SEO-friendly' at the front part of the title with your twist at the back:
e.g. How To Say Hello In French - I Got It Right The First Time!

You get my point.
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tuongnv3 9 years ago

I'm sorry for the way this optimization is too simple, not suitable for recent years should have the creativity, poison, stranger.
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KylieSweet 9 years ago

I prefer both of them, optimized and interesting title. This will boost click through rate and popularity in the search results.
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sparrow 9 years ago

isn't this what is called SEM

Search Engine Marketing

both for the search engine and getting people to click your link in the SERPs

if you have engaging content and getting visitors to click your titles you have achieved both

just have to work a happy medium
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yukon

Banned 9 years ago

Originally Posted by tileeba

Hello! I might not be asking this question in the right forum, as this one is dedicated specifically to SEO; but I have this huge dilema, and I'd really appreciate it if you guys could help me out here, or at least point me to where I should ask this question.

I create daily mini-podcast (5 minutes) with sentences, vocabulary, and tips for ESL (English as a Second Language) students. I have about 8,000 subscribers to my list; and I feel that my "unique voice" in the market is to be personable and to create mini-podcasts that relate to my life and day-to-day activities while teaching them English. Domine Inglês com Tim and Tammy*|*Aprenda a falar inglês como americano

So this is my dilema: I prefer to create interesting titles to my posts like "What I learned with my dog today"; and "My students did it again!", etc., that are related to my "story" and which will draw my subscribers to listen to the mini-podcast. (I know those were probably poor examples of "interesting titles", but you get my idea. :-) )

However, my competitors are writing posts like "How to use the verb to be", and "How to say _____ in English", etc.; which are more google searchable.

If I post titles like that, it will increase my SEO, but I feel it will take away from my "unique voice".

So should I go with "how to say _______" and "how to use the verb ____" for SEO purposes, or keep the more story-like titles to keep things interesting for my listeners? Your opinion will be very much appreciated. Thank you!

You can still optimize your webpages for better ranking & target additional keywords with <h1>/<h2> tags. They can show up as alternative SERP titles. Also use jump-links on your page because they can show up inside the SERP description & help increase CTR.

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paulgl 9 years ago

If you create a title the way it should be, which is what the article's title
actually should be, then it's automatically SEO-optimized.

When you start cramming everything and anything related to the article,
you really screw it up. That's not SEO.

As far as interesting goes, what does that even mean with a title?
"Looky here for some great stuff on chimpanzees"

If my article is on Bob Hope, I'm going to title it, Bob Hope.

I'm not going to title it
"Looky here for Bob Hope birthdate, biography, hometown, where he went to school.."

Anyone ever look at wikipedia titles? And google loves them.
But I know some of you would say they suck, are not interesting, and are
not seo optimized. Well, that's what separates the men from the boys.

Your site and page structure should be optimized.

Paul
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- redbarronholdings 9 years ago
  
  Agreed Paul. been beat out by Wikipedia many times for top spot.
  
  Thanks
  
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- tileeba 9 years ago
  
  Thank you, everyone, for your help! I read every piece of advice, and I really appreciate the time each of you spent in answering me!
  
  ----------------------
  
  Originally Posted by paulgl
  
  If you create a title the way it should be, which is what the article's title
  actually should be, then it's automatically SEO-optimized.
  
  I realize that, paulgl. The problem with my titles is that they are describing daily mini-podcast where I talk about my life or current events, but use the opportunity to teach students some English. I wanted to keep the titles personal, as in:
  
  - The mouse got away again
  
  And in this mini-podcast I would tell them about a mouse that we were trying to catch that "got away"; then I would teach them the phrasal verb "get away" (which I would tell them means "to escape").
  
  The problem is that other ESL sites post lesson-type tips such as:
  
  - Meaning of the phrasal verb get away
  
  So, of course, if a student is looking for "meaning of the phrasal verb get away", he will find the site with that title, and not my mini-podcast that teaches the same thing but in a more personal way.
  
  I could simply write a bunch of lessons with titles like that, but then I would be straying from my proposition, which is to tell short stories and use them to teach English.
  
  So that was my dilema. It's not that I want to put everything in the title; it's that my titles by default won't be SEO-potimized if I intend to keep them personal, instead of "lesson-like".
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  savidge4 9 years ago
  
  There is 2 ways about this... there is the happy medium road which would be to continue titling your posts in the manor that you are, and then use the "Description Tag" to place the more SEO'ish content in there.
  
  Title: "I Walked My Dog Today"
  Description Tag: Speak Spanish - Learn how to say "Dog" and "Leash" and "Oh dang I forgot my pooper scooper"
  
  You are not going to get the obvious full effect, but that underlying message will be there.
  
  The other method here is me guessing you have a decent social following with poor SEO titles, but 8000 subscribers.
  
  Title the post as you would normally.. Share the post socially, again I am assuming this is what you are doing. THEN go back into the post and change the title to a more SEO friendly title.
  
  Socially your readers will see: "I walked My Dog Today", and shorty after the search engines will see: "Speak Spanish - Learn how to say Dog and Leash"
  
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Edwin Torres

9 years ago

Always go for a more human title. Humans are going to be reading your posts not robots. You want your content to be share-worthy, and to catch peoples attention.

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yukon

Banned 9 years ago

Originally Posted by Edwin Torres

Always go for a more human title. Humans are going to be reading your posts not robots. You want your content to be share-worthy, and to catch peoples attention.

Uh, yea, bots do parse webpages that's the whole point of creating algos.

If a webmaster doesn't optimize a page to rank in the SERPs, odds are they won't rank a page for anything remotely competitive (traffic volume).

A webpage can be optimized for both traffic & SEO at the same time. OP is only focused on page titles when he needs to be looking at the BIG picture, the entire page being optimized along with relevant hierarchy webpages & internal/external supporting links.

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bryan2015 9 years ago

Nice question.Yes title of your content should be attractive one and should be choose according to content of your website.
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davidpham 9 years ago

To me, I invest time to keep both of them
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AadhyaMehra Banned 9 years ago

SEO optimized titles can also be interesting. I agree that catchy titles attract visitors and SEO optimized titles help ranking in google.
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johnniewalk Banned 9 years ago

For this you need to research some keywords by using Ad word keyword planner and it will show the results of searching the keyword based on that keyword if your title obtains it is useful for you.
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