Rankings on search engine results pages don’t matter if people aren’t enticed to click on the link to your website. Since the first things people see when they look at search results are title tags and meta descriptions, they are extremely important in getting Internet users to click through to your site.
Let me explain a bit more.
Imagine you want to find a dentist in your area who specializes in dental implants. You search Google for “dental implants near me,” and this gives you results of dentists in your area. With so many to choose from, you quickly scan the title tags to see what pops out at you. There’s one that reads, “Dental Implant Specialist in Lower Manhattan.” This title tag uses the keyword you used, mentions that the person is a specialist and he’s in your area. BINGO!
To confirm this person is the best one for your needs, you scan the meta description and see, “Providing dental implant services for an affordable price. Free consultations are available.” This is it. Now, you have to click on the link because you know that dental implants are expensive, especially in the city. Not only do you get to speak to a specialist for free, but you’re going to get the best price possible.
Now, take this scenario and think about your consumers. What will make them click through to your website?
Tips to Improve Title Tag Click Through Rates
The following are some of the best ways to get Internet users to click through to your site just by reading your title tags.
Low Price
Adding a reference about price is effective in improving click through rates. This low price message can be relayed in a number of ways.
- Using the words affordable, lowest price, best price, or lower rates.
- Mentioning a percentage off of the products or services.
- Including what the price is, as long as it’s competitive.
Freshness
Google loves fresh content because Internet users love fresh content. You can show people how current your information is simply by telling them the timing of it. For example, you can include the year in the title tag, such as “The Best Products of 2018” or “What You Need to Buy in March for a Wedding.”
Volume
Content has come a long way over the years. People want to find everything they need on one site instead of hopping from one site to another. You can tell people that one of your website pages has all of the information they need by including the volume in the title tag. For instance, if someone is looking for places to eat in Little Italy, a good title tag would be “A List of All Italian Restaurants in Little Italy.” If the person is searching the best attractions in NYC, a good title tag would be, “100 Fun Things To Do in NYC.”
Speed
Most of us live fast-paced lifestyles, so we want to do things quickly and easily. A title tag that references how easy and quick your services are will convince people to learn more about your business. A title tag that includes “Free Shipping & Fast Delivery” is hard to ignore.
Brand
Referencing a strong brand can drive click-through rates incredibly. For instance, if you own a shoe store and mention that you sell brands such as Nike in your title tag, people will pay attention as long as it is relevant.
Tips for Click-Worthy Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are the paragraph in Google underneath your title tag. It’s important to note that unless you specify what yours should say, Google will create its own. And, since the meta description is the second place people look after the title tag, it’s your chance to really hook them to click through. Here are some tips for how you can do it.
Price
Just like in title tags, you want to mention something about price. This doesn’t only include saying that you have the lowest price, but also anything to do with paying for services or products. Many paid ads do well because they include mention of a “flexible payment plan” or simply just “payment plans.”
Analyze Competitor’s Meta Descriptions
If you see your competitors getting more organic traffic from a keyword, analyze the description and rewrite it to make it unique. Usually, there are buzzwords and phrases that are getting people to click on their link, and if you use the same language, you can get some of that traffic too.
Make People Curious With a Call-to-Action
One of the most effective ways to get people to act is to make them curious. It’s why “clickbait” articles have generated so much traffic.
Just be careful to reward people by giving them exactly what they were hoping for when they click through to your site. This will instill a sense of trust in you and your business, which can lead to better conversions.
Include a call-to-action in your meta description and use words that will peak curiosity. Terms that can lead to better click-through rates in meta descriptions are:
- Have you ever wondered…click here to find the answer.
- Find out how you can…
- Discover the secret to…
- You wouldn’t believe what these…
Explain Benefits
People don’t want to know the features of products or services, they want to know how those products or services can benefit their lives. If you focus on the benefits of your business’ offerings, people will be more likely to click through to your website.
Include Numbers
Just as numbers help with content volume and freshness in title tags, numbers can help in meta descriptions too. Make your meta description specific by including numbers in it.
For example, here is a meta description for a weight loss program without numbers:
“Learn how people lost weight while on our weight loss program.”
And here’s what happens when you add quantifiable results to the description:
“Learn how 150 people lost 10 pounds in just one month using our weight loss program.”
The second description provides proof that the program works and gives specifics on the results. It’s much more persuasive and more likely to generate a click-through to your site.
Use Keywords
Even though Google doesn’t use the keywords in meta descriptions for rankings, it’s still useful to use them because it grabs people’s attention. It’s natural for someone to notice a meta description with the same keyword they used, especially since the keyword phrase will likely be bolded in the meta description.
How to Get the Best Click Through Rate with Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
It’s not possible to use all of these tips in one title tag and meta description, but you can play around with these tips to create ones that will work the best for your audience. Many of them can be combined such as using numbers and pricing, and then the keyword. You can also reference volume and freshness in the title tag and then tell people the benefits of the services and products in the meta description.
The best way to find out what will work best for your audience is to compare click through rates of different variations. With proper tracking, it will be plain to see which ones get users to click.
