What Does “No Keywords in Title” Mean?
The phrase “No Keywords in Title” typically refers to the absence of specific keywords that are relevant to the content or target audience in the title of a document, article, web page, or any form of written material.
Consequences of Not Having Keywords in Title Tags
- Lower Rankings: Pages may rank lower in search results because search engines might not understand their relevance to user queries.
- Reduced Visibility: Without target words, pages are less likely to appear for relevant searches.
- Decreased CTR: Users are less likely to click on links with vague or non-descriptive titles, leading to reduced traffic.
What Triggers This Issue?
The “No Keywords in Title” issue in a site audit is triggered by several factors, typically related to the way title tags are created and managed on a website. Here are some common reasons why this issue might arise:
1. Lack of SEO Strategy
If no keyword research has been conducted, the titles may not include any relevant focus words because the content creators are unaware of which keywords to target.
Without a clear understanding of which keywords are important for each page, titles may end up being generic or unrelated to search intent.
2. Content Management System (CMS) Limitations
Some CMS platforms generate default titles for new pages that might not include keywords. If these default titles are not manually updated, they can trigger this issue.
Automated systems might create titles based on page structure or other non-relevant factors, leading to the omission of important search terms.
3. Human Error
Content creators may forget to include keywords in the title, especially if they are not following a strict SEO checklist.
Individuals responsible for creating content might not be trained in SEO best practices, leading to poorly optimized titles.
4. Content Changes and Updates
Over time, content may be updated, but titles might not be revised to reflect new keywords or focus areas.
When expanding or diversifying content, new focus words might be introduced without updating the existing titles to include them.
5. Multilingual or Multiple Versions of a Site
In multilingual sites, translated versions of a page might not have titles optimized with relevant keywords in each language.
Different teams managing different versions of a site might follow inconsistent practices regarding title optimization.
6. Structural Website Issues
Duplicate titles across multiple pages might lead to generic titles without specific keywords.
In some cases, pages might have missing title tags, causing them to be flagged as having no search terms.
7. Dynamic Content
Pages that dynamically generate content might not include static title tags with keywords, relying instead on real-time content that does not always include target words.
How to Check the Issue?
You need to check if the meta titles match their pages. Additionally, we recommend you keep the title length to 570 pixels wide. It’s about 50-60 English characters. Therefore, Google will not crop or redo your titles. You can also list your users’ typical searches and grab the keywords you want from there.
Sitechecker can assist you in monitoring title tag-related issues, ensuring they don’t hinder your SEO progress.
Keep an eye on your title tags to ensure they effectively contribute to your SEO!
Make a full audit to find out and fix your technical SEO in order to improve your SERP results.
How to Fix the Issue?
Fixing the “No Keywords in Title” issue involves a systematic approach to identifying the problem areas and implementing best practices for SEO. Here are the steps you can take to resolve this issue:
1. Conduct Keyword Research
Identify the relevant keywords for each page of your website. Tools like Keyword Suggestion Tool can help you find the keywords that your target audience is searching for.
2. Audit Your Titles
Use the Keyword Suggestion Tool for SEO & PPC by Sitechecker to generate a report of all your pages’ title tags. Identify which titles are missing keywords.
3. Create an Optimization Plan
Develop a plan to update the titles of the pages identified in the audit. Prioritize the most important pages, such as those with high traffic or strategic importance.
4. Update Title Tags
Manually update the title tags to include relevant keywords. Here are some tips for optimizing title tags:
- Place Primary Keywords at the Beginning: Start with the most important keywords.
- Keep Titles Concise: Aim for 50-60 characters to ensure they are fully displayed in search results.
- Make Titles Descriptive and Compelling: Clearly describe the page content and make it enticing for users to click.
- Avoid Keyword Stuffing: Use keywords naturally and ensure the title makes sense to human readers.
5. Utilize CMS Features and Plugins
If you use a CMS like WordPress, there are SEO plugins (e.g., Yoast SEO, All in One SEO Pack) that can help you manage and optimize your title tags:
Configure templates for title tags that automatically include keywords.
Set up alerts or checks within the plugin to notify you of pages without keywords in the title.
6. Implement Dynamic Title Tags for Dynamic Pages
For pages that are dynamically generated, ensure your template logic includes relevant keywords in the title. Work with your development team to ensure SEO best practices are followed in dynamic content generation.
7. Train Your Content Team
Ensure that everyone involved in content creation understands the importance of including keywords in title tags. Provide guidelines and checklists to help them optimize titles consistently.
8. Regularly Review and Update Titles
SEO is an ongoing process. Regularly review your site’s titles to ensure they remain relevant and optimized as content and keywords evolve. Schedule periodic site audits to catch and fix any new issues.
9. Monitor Performance
After updating the titles, monitor the performance of your pages using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Look for improvements in rankings, click-through rates (CTR), and overall traffic.