Your Title Does NOT Have to Include Your Keyword!
So, let's have a bit of a controversial chat today!
How many of you have a list of rules, maybe a checklist before you publish?
And is one of those rules, always have the keyword in your title?
I just don't do that and haven't done for a long time!
However, that's not the full story.
When I publish a post, I do publish it WITH the keyword.
And then, immediately go back and update the title with something more compelling, and republish it, but leave the original permalink/URL in place.
That way, you have indicated to Google what your target keyword is, but also made your title more interesting, more eye-catching.
Let's see an example.
Imagine I am going to write about a post about cleaning ovens.
So, my keyword is going to be Oven Cleaning Tips.
I will publish the post with that title, maybe add a couple of words after it, as it's a bit short.
My published post now has a URL of mydomain.com/oven-cleaning-tips
It's quite clear to Google what the post is about.
But it's not very exciting, is it?
Now, why not ask ChatGPT for a new title?
Here's the prompt:
Give me five catchy titles for a post on Oven Cleaning Tips. Make sure they are short, concise, and click-worthy for the readers.
Note how I ask for 5 titles to give me a selection to choose from.
And I ask for click-worthy, not clickbait!
Don't "overpromise" something with a clickbait title!
Let's see what ChatGPT came up with!
See any that you like?
I am going with Say Goodbye to Grime: Oven Cleaning Made Simple!
Now, I head back to WordPress, change the title, and click update.
Let me guess, you have questions!
Number one, you are going to say that the title is too long, am I right?
So what, will the sky fall in?
The worst that will happen, is that Google will cut it off after 60 characters.
But it won't affect your ranking, Google won't suddenly not know what your post is about!
Next, you are going to say that your SEO plug-in doesn't like it.
Not only will it say it is too long, but depending on your plug-in, it will shout at you for not having the keyword in the title!
You are not going to get that perfect all-green, 100/100 score you are craving!
And again, so what?
You can get a perfect score by manipulating the plug-in as much as you like, but it won't guarantee ranking, I pay no attention to anything it suggests!
SEO isn’t just about ranking.
It’s also about convincing searchers to click on your page in the search results.
Recent Comments
76
Hi Diane! I hope are doing well!
https://mydomain.com/oven-cleaning-tips
: the url can be changed and is not much about being exciting or not, as it's not the same as the keyword results on engenies. Is actually a good one.
The title is not long at all.
If the keyword is moon, the title should not be a riddle, if you intend to help the ones searching for moon. I guess.
There is no problem to use it or not, the keyword, yet yes, it makes sense to include it.
More suggestions are available on different SEO plugins. Once you understood them all, you can just use AI for suggestions, but make the title yourself.
Ranking based results are not directly related to just the title and keyword..
I would add, ranking is not just about SEO!
My opinion.
Thank you for sharing.
Wish you all the best!
Leonard
If I want to get into my house and that is my intent, I use a key.
Now, for the solution to get into my house I need search and find the exact key for it to work because that would be the solution to my problem (finding the exact key to get into my house).
I cannot use any key because it simply won’t work and won’t solve my problem.. EVEN if its a random key and it can unlock SOME lock, but not MY lock.
Now with this in mind, let’s look at some words I used from the above metaphor.
Key
intent
Find
solution
To summarize the above: My solution and intent is to find the exact key so I can solve my problem of getting into my house.
And now let’s look at your oven cleaning tips example.
Your target keyword is: Oven Cleaning Tips
The INTENT is to offer tips on how to clean your oven.
Perhaps you have some great tips and have a few easy solutions that I may be interested in.
Your suggested title is:
Say Goodbye to Grime: Oven Cleaning Made Simple
If I were to search ‘oven cleaning tips’ and hypothetically speaking saw your title in the search engine results, I would not click it because the title (to me) sounds more like a sales pitch for a product and not solving my intent of finding oven cleaning TIPS.
OK, we’re on the home stretch here!
Let’s remove the whole Google, ranking etc from this conversation and solely focus on solving SEARCH INTENT.
I believe it is important to have the KEYWORD in the POST TITLE because it will help people determine if you can solve their SEARCH INTENT.
AND if I see what I initially Googled in the search result title, I will recognize that more because it is in the forefront of my mind.
Alternative post title WITH keyword:
7 Simple Oven Cleaning Tips That Will Save Time
It has the target keyword, is catchy and not ‘salesy’ and offers a solution (saving time).
So, in summary:
Target KEYWORDS in POST TITLES are important to solve SEARCH INTENT
Thank you for listening to my TED Talk reply lol
Jay
I strongly disagree that you should not use the KW in the title and think it is not a great advice to give, to be honest. I agree that it is important to make a great title, but that can easily be done with the KW. Also, I agree to make the URL shorter and not use the whole title as the URL, but that can just be done before publishing, which is a lot easier and faster.
Hey Mikael,
Hope you're well.
Plus, I hope you don't mind me "chiming in".
I'm trying to think of how to word this correctly without coming across as disrespectful to anyone.
So, with all due respect to you, I strongly disagree with your strong disagreement, LOL.
Okay, title tags have always been said to be one of the strongest ranking factors for a specific keyword.
And while I agree that the H1 tag is the ideal opportunity to provide the search engines with the context of your article, this definitely doesn't need to be an "exact match" keyword or even include the actual keyword (and the algorithm updates I mention below means that Google now "searches" the entire article, uses natural language, in order to determine what the article is about, and therefore which search queries to rank it for).
I think where the difference of opinion will come in is that those who have found success via Wealthy Affiliate and those, such as myself, who found it externally first,
I've been quite vocal over the years about Jaaxy and QSR, and QSR is definitely something I do not agree with for the last 5+ years.
Furthermore, I remember when Travis Sago first came out with the original "formula" that Jaaxy's QSR is based around, plus I remember Jennifer/PotPieGirl (Former WA member) who then came up with her version of QSR.
However, there have been a number of studies over the years that have shown that "keyword in title" simply isn't a metric that Google worries about (and yet all SEOs have been quoting this non-stop for years).
Firstly, there is a study by ahrefs and Brian Dean in 2016, then one by SEMrush in 2017.
However, the strangest study was by SearchMetrics in 2013.
The reason for it being "strange" in my mind is that I feel that "keyword in title" and "exact match keywords" have not been a thing since Google's Hummingbird Algorithm Update of September 2013, but SearchMetrics study was BEFORE this date in 2013.
So, according to that study, Google still "ignored" keyword in title as long ago as early 2013.
Furthermore, since Hummingbird (and BERT in October 2019) Google is far more aware of how to understand the content on a page.
In fact, this is how they describe Hummingbird
"Hummingbird places greater emphasis on natural language queries, considering context and meaning over individual keywords."
For me, I've always believed that SEO simply means "how to influence the SERPs to rank you for certain search terms".
Pre-2011, many of us turned to keyword stuffing, exact match anchor text backlinks, etc. and this WORKED for many years... until it didn't Penguin and Panda updates in 2011 and 2012).
So, clearly Google has been trying to prevent "SEO manipulation" for many years, so many SEOs came out with certain "rules" to adhere to (and then we had the creation and influx of all the SEO plugins that were supposed to guide us).
Obviously, we can agree to disagree, I have no issue with that.
But, I firmly believe that most of SEO "rules" that have been taught over the years, and are still adhered to, are incoreect and MAY start to fall apart this year especially.
We've had the HCU's of 2022 and 2023, and there are continued SPAM algorithm updates.
I'm pretty sure that there will be "over-optimization" and "keyword stuffing" penalties in our near future, as people still continue to the follow the "PRE-2013" SEO rules.
That's simply how I see it Mikael, but as I say, I am more than happy for us to disagree on this, LOL!
Partha
Thanks for sharing your opinion.
But I think you maybe have missed my point. I am not telling to keyword stuff as that is definitely not a good idea. And I agree that the most important is a title that is catchy and makes sense for the intent of the user. And I am also not saying that Google does not understand the whole page and takes that into consideration. I am also not saying to strictly believe what SEO plugins tell you to do, as that is not a good idea. It feels a bit strange you are suggesting this as that is not at all my point.
It is definitely possible to get a great and catchy title by including the KW, and if you find a good KW that will in many cases make the title better and more likely people will read it.
As for Jaaxy, then I do not mention anything about that, and this is not about QSR or anything like that.
And suggesting that I follow pre-2013 rules is honestly a bit disrespectful even though you say you do not try to be, but I expected more from you. I know there are many ways to do things, and many things work when it to SEO, and when it comes to SEO no one knows exactly what Google thinks and there are many different theories. But when people first start out it is important to keep it simple. And my point with my reply is that there is a risk people will overcomplicate it with the whole publishing and the changing title thing.
And there is a big risk people will just start using Chat GPT titles if they follow the advice here, and that will not be good for SEO or the user. That is my main point, and I have no intention of going into a bigger discussion about this, but just thought it was important to point out that sticking to the basics is the best possible approach when starting out, in my opinion and experience.
Anyways, just wanted to add this as it seems you misunderstood my point so just wanted to explain this.
Hey Mikael,
Thanks for the reply.
Firstly, my sincere apologies, however, the "pre-2013" comment was NOT aimed at you or anyone specifically. I'm sorry if it came across that way, that definitely wasn't my intention, sorry again!
I simply meant that literally everywhere you look online "people in general" still quote "have the keyword in the title, at the beginning of your title, keyword in your first 100 words, etc.".
Furthermore, the only reason I've mentioned Jaaxy and QSR is because it is entirely based on "exact match keywords" ("all-in-title").
Therefore, many people are led to believe that because they are targeting "exact match" keywords they must include the keyword in the "exact" same way in their title in order to be ranked (in fact, a "newbie" has even blogged something similar this week).
Apart from that, I do actually agree with most of what you've said here (2nd reply) and you're right, no-one actually fully knows what Google wants from an SEO perspective, so we ALL typically use what works for us.
But, then again, that is what most online advice is based on, i.e. personal experience.
I will say that I am totally with you on the "keep it simple for people just starting out", and while this blog post and our replies may be confusing, I still personally stand by the keyword doesn't need to be used in the title (a variation is fine), but I get that this is potentially extremely confusing for newbies to read..
As I say, we can obviously have differing opinions.
Once more, my sincere apologies if my initial reply came across that way, I definitely wasn't talking "personally" about you or anyone else, just a generalization based on much of the advice on the internet.
Partha
Sadly, I remember all that history. More crucially, I agree with it . I do get Jay's point, but I would certainly say to people test it and see. At the end of the day, that is the only opinion that counts the results. For my two penny worth I have been doing it for a long time with no ill effects
I absolutely do have a check list. Its printed out and meticulously ticked and dated at each stage. If a tick is missing - no upload.
And yes, Keyword is in the title - every time Diane.
Now I'm in trouble. I've learnt something new.
Thanks for the info.
Bux
This is excellent information. I hate not being able to use the title I want because I thought I had to use my keyword phrase. I have several titles I plan on changing. I am also one of those who has a habit of shortening my title because it always tells me it is too long. I guess I never realized that Google doesn't care, and the only thing they will do is truncate it, which is no big deal as long as my rankings stay the same. Great information!
The first thing I do when I start to work on a new post is edit the slug to a short version of the keyword (using only the "core words" without any "stop or beautifying words).
Then click on “save draft”,from there I can work on beautifying my titles and meta titles ;)
Many roads lead to Rome, right?
Cheers
Pedro
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Hey Diane,
Thought I'd have my own little comment on this post.
Plus, enjoying the potential "controversy" and differing opinions, makes for an interesting discussion.
There are a couple of points that I want to touch on, made by others who disagree, and I will say that I 100% agree with those points, BUT, I still agree that you DO NOT need to use the keyword in your title.
Firstly, it can be confusing for newbies to read a blog post like this, and the comments section.
I 100% agree with this.
I have always said about my own blog posts that they are NOT for newcomers, simply because I know they would cause confusion.
So, if someone is 3-6 months into their journey I would always suggest that you follow the training verbatim.
Basically, most people who come here often don't realise that "earning online" is an option for everyone, therefore I agree that they should just stick to the training, it's better that they have an exact roadmap to follow.
It's once you get further into your first 6 months online that you start to experience things for yourself, you have ideas that are outside of the main training, etc.
That's fine, but initially, a roadmap has been laid out for you, follow it.
Next, search intent, again I 100% agree with this.
However, you can still cover search intent WITHOUT using the keyword in the title.
Taking your "Oven Cleaning Tips" example, you can hit search intent, not use the keyword, and create intrigue...
7 Powerful Strategies to Make Your Old Oven Sparkle Like New
7 Unknown Techniques to Remove Grease & Grime From Your Oven's Life
Furthermore, what is the most common thing I always say?
ALWAYS CHECK PAGE ONE OF GOOGLE WITH YOUR OWN EYES
So if you go to the Google Search Bar and type in
Oven Cleaning Tips
It's clear to see that only 30% of the TOP 10 results use the EXACT words
Oven Cleaning Tips
in their title.
Therefore 70% of Google's page one results for this search term DO NOT use the "keyword" in their title.
Plus, the Featured Snippet and the Number One Ranking Article, so basically the two articles that Google deems are the most HELPFUL & RELEVANT for the search term
Oven Cleaning Tips
These are the "TWO BEST" articles (in Google's mind) out of potentially MILLIONS of articles on this subject, these two articles that are probably receiving 10s of thousands of visitors per month for that "keyword"
DO NOT HAVE THE KEYWORD IN THEIR TITLE
Tbh, I think the main thing this shows is that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to SEO.
Some do things one way and achieve great success, some do things another way, and also achieve great success.
So, for me, if you're new, follow the EXACT roadmap laid out for you.
Once you have more experience, act like a "real" business owner, experiment, see what works, what doesn't, and draw your own conclusions.
Partha
Thank you, Partha. It is nice to have you back. You were missed.
Regards, Matt
Cheers Matt.
Happy New Year to you and your family!!! :)
Thank you Partha
You have shared so much awesome information for us to understand this topic even better
Jeff
I hope you and your family are well, and Happy New Year to you as well.
*****************************************************************************
I have a question: What are you using to determine what is on page one of Google or the top ten ranked websites? Are you putting in the exact keywords "Oven Cleaning Tips" and basing it off the DA authority from Keywords Everywhere?
I have so many of your posts bookmarked that I can't even remember which one you discussed, the ranking determination.
-Matt
Nope, none of that!!! Hahahahaha!!
This is a SIMPLE Google search.
Go to the Google Search Bar, act as a "normal searcher" and simply type
Oven Cleaning Tips
into the search bar and press enter.
NO quotation marks, just "pretend" you are a REAL person (LOL!!) who has gone to Google and typed in
Oven Cleaning Tips
You have your sponsored results at the top (Google likes to make money too), but below them are the top 10 results.
Simply read the titles of those top 10 results and you will see what I have said above 70/30 in favour of NOT using the keyword.
Plus, the TOP TWO results, the results GOOGLE DEEMS THE BEST (and you can guarantee that Oven Cleaning Tips probably produces a few thousand visitors per month to these sites JUST for that keyword), DON'T use the keyword in their title either.
Partha
Thank you for your response, Partha.
-Matt