Page titles 101 for attorneys: what they are and how can you write GREAT ones

The "page title" is the name that browsers and search engines will use for your page of content. It is the name that appears at the top of the browser screen. It is also the name that you will see as a link on the search results page. Web searchers on Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. will click on the page title in order to view the page. Your page title is your first chance to sell yourself to your web visitors.


Google Search Results Screen:

How long should your page title be?


Search engines like Google display only about the first 63 characters of your page title, so make it count. Also, as you can see from the screen shot above, the tabs on most search engines show even less of your page title.

How do can you write a GREAT page title?

Page titles are HUGE for your search engine optimization (SEO). You need ACCURATE and UNIQUE page titles - and you need to use keywords. Don't write something generic like "My Home Page" - sure, it is your home page, but that title isn't unique or relevant. Remember, you are trying to lure web visitors onto your page!

KEY POINT: You want to help your web visitors see that your page is relevant to their online search, so try to include what the page is about and if you are targeting a specific geographic location, where you are located.

You also want your keywords to appear together. Put your keywords right up front (hint: look at this page title - it starts with "attorney website design" which is one of our main marketing keywords.) Not Foster's Webiste Design for All Attorneys - that spreads the keywords out and has our name first, which would not maximize our SEO.

Think you get page titles?Not so fast! CHECK OUT THESE MUST READ ARTICLES: more information on working keywords into your page title and page title rules for attorneys.