The perfect page title element

When optimizing a site (both for SEO purposes as well as conversion), the title of a page can become one of the most important factors leading a searcher to click your listing. It is the first thing they see, it is what they will (hopefully) click on, and it will give them their first impression of your site. Because of this, you should put a great deal of effort into choosing an effective page title (otherwise known as your <title> element).

The normal convention that we use for our client sites (as well as our own) follows this format:
{Keyphrase} | {enticement} | {brandname}

A pagetitle that follows this outline lets the searcher know what the page is about (keyphrase), what to expect when purchasing/dealing with your company (enticement), and who you are (brand).

A title following this example could be something like “Golden Widgets | Free Expedited Shipping | WidgetsRUs.com”.

Next time you’re creating a page, or next time you’re going back through your site trying to squeeze every little bit of ranking out of it as possible, spend some time on your title. It could mean the difference between a customer and an apathetic searcher.