Content creators and bloggers understand how important it is to create captivating material. The difference between mediocre content and excellent content can be the ranking number one in a particular search result versus ranking on the fifth page, or reaching hundreds of thousands of people on social media versus hundreds. Aesthetic impressions matter in ways that many of us wish they did not – after all, content quality should be above all else – but even the most average of bloggers can use these elements to their advantage. We’ll discuss below how to short-circuit content titles into being better performers in search, social media and beyond.

Important Reasons for Title Optimization

The need for a good title is rooted in multiple areas of significance. First of all and perhaps most importantly, search engine and social media users find captivating titles to be more interesting. This means more clicks, more shares and more relevance across these platforms. However, it doesn’t stop here. Search engine optimization is another important reason why you should carefully consider your title selections, as the combination of captivating imagery and keyword selection can make a major difference in how each piece of content performs in search. On social media in particular, the notion of “clickbait” – the dynamic in which people are naturally drawn toward and click on your content when they see it – plays a huge role as well.

Craft a Simple Title, and Then Expand

The key to writing an excellent title is to begin with a fairly basic variation. Once you have decided what the core of your title will be, you can then begin brainstorming more complex variations that will be used in pinging networks once published. Hardly anybody can draft an excellent, winning title on the first draft, so it makes sense for most to draft a basic title at first. You can then begin to customize a variety of elements within the title, including the verbs and nouns that are featured. Having this basic title at first will help determine the overall angle for the eventual, winning title, and can make the brainstorming process a lot easier.

Research Keywords

In order to design the best winning title possible, you need to first know your keywords. Whether you’re targeting one particular niche or one particular set of search result, it is always necessary to know your target audience before you start pinging networks with random titles. While some businesses and brands may derive the bulk of their traffic from social media and email marketing campaigns, there is still a need to craft titles based on strongly performing keywords. In order to pick the right keywords, it is necessary to first understand the best words to target based on your subject material. You can only do this by knowing your keywords!

Researching keywords, expanding upon simple titles and understanding the background behind title optimization are all important elements to consider when creating winning titles. How have title brainstorming sessions for titles made you a better writer? Let us know below!