Which of these two formats will work best with respect to increased Search Engine Ranking…
<title>SitePoint: Expert Advice on Web Development</title>
or
<title>Expert Advice on Web Development - SitePoint.com</title>
Personally I like #1 because it makes the Brand Name easier to spot, and I think that is as important as the Site’s Purpose when people scan website listings on Google.
Thoughts?
Debbie
I also think the #1 title is better to read for search engines & users too.
I guess it would depend on whether you expect people more to be searching for “SitePoint” or “Expert Advice on Web Development”.
Think on what the TITLE tag is FOR… what is it for you ask? Most people don’t actually even ASK that.
It’s a NON-CONTENT element used to describe the page in user agents and clients as a quick reference – that means on the title bar of a window, on the text description in a tab, and as the Title of the page in your SERP. (It’s also why I laugh every time I see someone pathetically keyword stuff it to hell with words that aren’t even on the page)
So ask yourself, what format is more useful – what the page is when you have multiple windows or tabs open, or what site it is on; I’d point out that if you have a unique favicon on your tabs or task manager you’ll be able to tell what site it’s on, so what subpage it is being first is more useful.
For example, well… lemme open some tabs here at sitepoint and take a screencap of my portrait mode tabs in Opera.
What do you think is going to be more useful? The sub-page title first, or having all of those waste the first 20 characters saying what site they’re on? This is more true with the nonsensical/wasteful ‘tabs at the top’ bit where they all end up smooshed… having the sub-page title first is then even MORE important.
Again that’s why title is for saying where on the site the user is FIRST… it’s the entire point.
DeathShadow,
Here is how I see things…
[INDENT]1.) I never use Tabs
2.) For me, the purpose of Title is as much how I am listed in the Google search results as it is which page I am on. (If I make it to the page, I usually know what I’m looking at.)
3.) I am big on GENERAL —> SPECIFIC viewing/surfing/sorting/etc. So WEBSITE NAME to PAGE TITLE makes more sense to me because it allows me to quickly digest what I am looking at.
Because I don’t use Tabs, I command + ~ super quick through all of my open windows and it is easier to read…
Washington Post: Taliban vows revenge for killings by US soldier
Washington Post: How to be a bad boss
Yahoo: Mail
CNBC: Will Portugal Follow Greece Into Debt Relief?
SitePoint: Setting up <Title> for best effect
4.) Putting the Website Name first makes scanning for my website in the Search Engine Results much easier.
[/INDENT]
Nonetheless, I understand what you are saying, and as usual, I guess your advice is the best.
Thanks,
Debbie
You’re a mac user, this surprises me NOT… whereas I end up on a Mac and bemoan the total lack of useful multitasking UI and file system management elements. But I like to see EVERYTHING that’s open listed somewhere and not hidden… tabs in the browser leaves more taskbar room free to see all my folders, editor windows and support tools. It’s why I can’t stand “personalized menus” as when I open a menu I like to see ALL the options, Not the ones I just happen to have used lately… It’s why I can’t stand Opera stacks, the OSX dock, or windows 7 grouping… Just show me the blasted options and what’s actually open. No, can’t possibly allow that level of control or ease of use.
Which oddly isn’t what many early search engines even did with it… though that’s going back to the mid 90’s when it started being used for that – I still think of it as window title first; which is what your alt-tabbing (sorry, command-plussing) through the windows is equivalent to.
Which I can see on that UI, unfortunately that’s Quack specific – or non-tab specific. Most interfaces do not show you much more than 20 to 24 characters as the title – so having a bunch of windows or tabs where the first 16 to 20 letters are all identical isn’t all that helpful.
It’s actually part of why I consider web dev on a mac to be tying one hand behind your back; because you aren’t experiencing what the majority of users are.
Tip on that, on your home page use the website name; on SUB-PAGES use the topic name.
Unless of course you’re scanning for sub-pages by content; but really that type of egosurfing is usually time wasted that could be better spent building content. SEO is important, it’s not “lets waste hours running perfect search phrases” important… no matter what the SEO kool-aid scam artists tell you.
Not sure if I’m following you, but this I know…
Holding down Command + Tab lets me SEE every Application I have open and cycle through them in a breeze…
Holding down Command + ~ lets me SEE every Application Instance I have open and cycle through them in a breeze…
Did it take me a few years to get used to that after 15+ years on Windows? Sure. But do I find it superior to Window’s UI now? Yep!!
(And isn’t that what you say you are wanting above???)
Which I can see on that UI, unfortunately that’s Quack specific – or non-tab specific. Most interfaces do not show you much more than 20 to 24 characters as the title – so having a bunch of windows or tabs where the first 16 to 20 letters are all identical isn’t all that helpful.
Point made.
It’s actually part of why I consider web dev on a mac to be tying one hand behind your back; because you aren’t experiencing what the majority of users are.
But it is an easier and better experience, so screw the masses!
Tip on that, on your home page use the website name; on SUB-PAGES use the topic name.
Okay
Unless of course you’re scanning for sub-pages by content; but really that type of egosurfing is usually time wasted that could be better spent building content. SEO is important, it’s not “lets waste hours running perfect search phrases” important… no matter what the SEO kool-aid scam artists tell you.
Just wanting to tweak things as much as I can to get better and better.
I come up #1 or #2 on one search and usually 1st page on two other searches, and I know with all of the SEO improvements I have made over the last few months that things will only get better, including your tips today.
Thanks as always, DeathShadow!!
Debbie