Search Engines vs. Humans

Who do you write your blog titles for?  The search engines so you get better indexing or for the readers of your blog who may be getting your blog posts in a feedreader?  An interesting question and one we discuss from time to time with our clients.  We generally recommend you use your most important keywords in the first 2-3 words of your blog title.  However, you don't want to sacrifice readability for findability and keyword optimization.  It's a fine line. In my view, readers come first.

Here's a post you may want to read through to get a better picture of this debate: Write for people not search engines

Source: John Trosko

Comments

[Tammy Vitale]

Am currently working through your Building a Better Blog book (non-techie that I am) and have noticed this conversation in the book. However, for me, if I start thinking about the sales end of writing, I run smack into a wall of silence. Maybe after I pratice more (and I have been over at myspace) it'll come, but for now I write for people. Actually, it sort of reminds me of an argument I had with my facilitator about "audience" during my 2nd grad semester. I argued then (and believe now) that I write first for ME. My experience is that there are always others out there looking for that same energy and my job is to get the energy through and written
down, not worry about how people find it. Very unmarketing like, I know. But works on a lot of levels for me.
Tammy Vitale, www.TamsOriginals.com

[Jessica Duquette]

Greetings, ladies, I have been struggling with this question myself. I followed the link to the NYT post and it prompted a question: how do you change your meta tag in Typepad without going to the HTML tab, or do you have to remember to do that each time? In answering my own question by clicking on my most recent permalink, it seems that the metatag/Page Title that is automatically generated is in this format:

my blog name:the posting title.

For example, yesterday's posting page title from the permalink is:

It's not about your stuff!: 5 Day Office Makeover-Day3-Now What?

This makes me realize I need to be VERY thoughtful about how I title my posts, thank you for bringing this to my attention.

warmly!

Jessica Duquette
www.itsnotaboutyourstuff.com

[Patsi Krakoff]

Tammy, keep working at this and keep your mind open to learning the marketing aspects of your writing. It is possible, and advisable, to write both for yourself, your audience AND the search engines. But it involves a mind-shift. I believe that being search engine savvy actually improves my writing, keeps me focused on what readers want, rather than on me, myself and I, if you know what I mean... Thanks for contributing to the conversation!