How do you create a catchy and SEO-friendly title for your online course?

1 Why your title matters

Your title is the first thing that your audience sees when they browse for online courses. It is also the main element that search engines use to determine what your course is about and how relevant it is to the user's query. A good title can make or break your course's success, as it can influence the click-through rate, the conversion rate, and the retention rate of your students. Therefore, you need to spend some time and effort to craft a title that captures attention, conveys value, and matches intent.

2 How to brainstorm ideas

Before you start writing your title, you need to have a clear idea of what your course is about, who it is for, and what it offers. To help guide your brainstorming process, consider the main topic or problem that your course covers, the benefits or outcomes it provides, and the target audience and their needs, goals, and pain points. Additionally, research relevant keywords or phrases that your audience uses to search for your topic and use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Answer the Public, or BuzzSumo to generate ideas. You can also look at other online courses in your field to see what titles they use and how you can improve or differentiate yours.

3 How to write a catchy title

When crafting your title, you can use clear and concise language that speaks to your audience, power words or emotional triggers, numbers or lists, questions or challenges, and humor or wit. For instance, instead of writing "How to Teach Math Online", you could try "7 Secrets to Make Math Fun and Easy for Your Online Students" or "How to Turn Math Haters into Math Lovers with Your Online Course". A catchy title should grab attention, spark curiosity, and create interest.

4 How to write an SEO-friendly title

Creating an SEO-friendly title is essential for ranking well on search engines and capturing the user's intent. To do this, you should include your main keyword or phrase at the start of your title, as well as modifiers or qualifiers to add context and specificity. Brackets or parentheses can be used to provide extra information or benefits, but it's important to keep your title within 60 characters or less to avoid truncation. Lastly, ensure you avoid keyword stuffing or duplication. For example, instead of "Online Tutoring Course", you could write "Online Tutoring Course: How to Start, Grow, and Succeed as an Online Tutor [2021 Guide]".

5 How to test and optimize your title

After you write your title, you need to test and optimize it to make sure it works for both humans and algorithms. You can use tools like CoSchedule Headline Analyzer, Advanced Marketing Institute Headline Analyzer, or Sharethrough Headline Analyzer to score and improve your title based on factors like word balance, sentiment, length, clarity, and engagement. You can also use tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, or A/B testing platforms to measure and compare the performance of your title in terms of clicks, impressions, conversions, and retention. You can then tweak and refine your title based on the data and feedback you collect.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?