“Is there an optimal number of characters for SEO article titles?”
Many people are probably worried about the number of characters in article titles.
However, in fact, the number of characters in the article title does not directly affect the effect of SEO.
However, if you are too conscious of the number of characters or make the wrong way, the effect of SEO will indirectly decrease.
Therefore, in this article, we will explain the number of characters in the article title that is effective for SEO measures and 5 tips for creating it.
If you want to aim for the top search results with an effective article title for SEO, please check out this article.
The number of characters in the title that is effective for SEO measures
The number of characters in the title that is effective for SEO measures is “around 30 characters”.
The reason is that the number of characters in the title displayed in the search results is around 30 characters when searching using the Google search engine on a PC.
As of June 2022, the number of characters displayed in search results is limited to 29 characters.
However, since the number of characters in the title in May 2020 was up to 32 characters, it can be seen that the number is constantly fluctuating.
Also, in the case of smartphones, depending on the browser, the number of characters displayed for the title is about 31 to 40 characters.
Therefore, we recommend a title of about 28 to 32 characters so that it can be used on both PCs and smartphones.
By the way, if the number of characters in the article title exceeds the limit of characters displayed in the search results, the excess characters will be displayed as “…”.
If you want to display the full title, it’s best to keep it within 28-29 characters.
Recommendations for using the character count tool
When creating SEO article titles, we recommend using a word count tool.
By using the character count tool, work efficiency will be greatly improved.
When creating a title, visually checking to see if the number of characters is appropriate will not only take time, but it will also result in counting errors.
If you use the character count tool, you can instantly calculate the number of characters by simply copying and pasting the created title.
There are tools that can be used for free and tools that can display a preview of Google search results, so please take advantage of them.
Why title tags are important for SEO
For SEO measures, not only the number of characters in the title, but also the content of the title tag is important.
The reason is that the title tag is the first thing Google crawlers and users look at.
The title tag should be written “inside the <head>” of the part that conveys the information of the page to the crawler.
By including the search keyword in the title tag, the crawler determines that “the page with that title is likely to have the information the user is looking for.”
In addition, Google said, “It’s essential to clearly communicate why a query is highly relevant,” and added, “Titles often determine which sites to click on, so web pages have high-quality content. It’s important to use title text.”
As mentioned above, users decide whether or not to click depending on the contents of the title tag, so it is clear that the title tag also affects the number of accesses.
Pages that are visited by a large number of users will also have a higher Google ranking, which will naturally lead to higher search rankings.
A good title tag can have a big impact on search results.
Source: Create effective titles and snippets for search results | Search Console Help
5 tips to create effective titles for SEO measures
Here are some tips for creating effective titles for SEO:
- Keywords should be in the first half of the title
- Include article targets and specific numbers
- Put [] (brackets) at the beginning to emphasize
- put in a catchy phrase
- Refer to top sites
As I mentioned earlier, the title is an important part of SEO. In fact, there are many cases where just changing the wording of the title can significantly improve search rankings.
Check out our SEO-friendly title tips to create the perfect title.
Keywords should be in the first half of the title
Try to put the search keyword in the first half of the title.
This is because by including keywords in the first half, you can instantly tell users and Google crawlers what the page is about.
In fact, if you put the keyword in the first half of the title, it will be easier for the user to notice the keyword, and you can expect an improvement in the click-through rate.
In addition, having keywords at the beginning of the title tends to rank higher for SEO.
By the way, if you put the keyword in the first half of the title, the keyword will always appear in the search results, so you don’t have to change the title even if the character limit displayed in the search results changes.
Include article targets and specific numbers
If you put the target of the article and specific numbers in the title, the persuasiveness will increase and the effect of SEO can be expected.
For example, let’s say you have an article with a simple title, “Explanation of effective SEO measures.”
How many people see this title, are intrigued, and think they’ll click on it?
Now let’s change the target of the article to a title with a specific number.
“Recommended for beginners! Explanation of 3 effective SEO measures”
With the above title, you can see at a glance who the article is for and what information you can get from the article, and you can expect an improvement in the click-through rate.
Put [] (brackets) at the beginning to emphasize
Putting [ ] (brackets) at the beginning of the title to emphasize it makes it easier for users to see, which is effective in terms of SEO.
[] is a thick bracket, so it stands out visually.
Actually, looking at the titles displayed in the search results, there are many titles that use [].
A visually appealing title will catch the user’s eye and increase the chances of it being clicked.
put in a catchy phrase
Include a catchy phrase in the title that makes you want to read it.
It is desirable to include phrases that make you want to read it, such as “Easy diet just by doing XX” or “You can make XX in just 3 minutes”.
It is not the goal of the web page to be displayed at the top of the search results by applying SEO measures.
I need the user to click and read the page.
As mentioned above, be conscious of giving a title that makes users want to click on it.
Refer to top sites
Use the top sites as a reference for effective SEO titles.
Because the top sites are already rated by Google.
It is important to analyze how the search intent is reflected by referring to the sites that are being evaluated in the search results.
Thinking about “Is there a better title?” by referring to the top sites is a shortcut to being evaluated by Google.
However, don’t completely imitate the title, no matter how much it is evaluated.
It will be considered copied content and may be penalized by Google.
summary
In this article, I explained the number of characters in the article title that is effective for SEO measures and the tips for creating the title.
As explained at the beginning, the optimal number of characters for SEO measures is “28 to 32 characters”.
Once you’ve created your title, we recommend using the word count tool to check it.
Also, the number of characters is not the only thing that matters in article titles.
There are many points that need to be devised, such as placing the search keyword in the first half of the title and making the target and content of the article clear at a glance.
Creating a title seems simple, but it is actually profound.
Focus on creating eye-catching titles with just the right amount of characters.