CTR is a ranking factor: how to optimize your title tags
Alex Horsman
Earn backlinks on the world's top publications without cold email outreach
I’ve slowly started to love Saturday mornings. But not for the reason you might think.
About a month ago I started spending a few hours at my desk each Saturday.
Not to answer emails, check Slack, or anything like that.?
Instead, I dive into deep, creative work.
8:00 a.m.: Wake up, take way too much pre-workout, and head to the gym.
11:30 a.m.: Read, write, and learn.?
4:00 p.m.: Pickleball, see a movie, go out with friends, or something else.?
Between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. is when?the magic happens. I have no distractions and I dive deep into whatever I fancy.
It’s hard to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and it’s these quiet hours that matter most.?
You must make space for this time. Those hours where it’s just you, a hot cup of coffee, dead silence, and a journal.?
When you prioritize your creative space, you come up with ideas to test and strategies to apply.?
For example, I never made time to read Michael King’s Google algo leak article until last Saturday.
Once I did, I found one big theory I could easily test:
Click-through rate (CTR) as a ranking factor.
Give me two minutes and I’ll explain the old way of doing this, why big brands gobble up all the clicks, and what I’m doing now.?
Oh, and at the end I’ll show you the exact results I’ve found.
The old way
Every SEO course will tell you to add your main keyword to the meta title of your page.?
If you’re targeting “best LLC service in Florida,” you’d better make sure it’s in the H1, URL, and meta title.
In addition, common advice suggests your keyword must be the very first text in your meta title. For instance, if you’re targeting “best LLC service in Florida,” then your meta title should be
Best LLC Service in Florida: blah, blah, blah (Year)
The truth is, these two “rules” kill both your creativity and your ability to entice searchers to click.?
All the search results now look the same. ??
How the hell are you going to stand out if you all have the same damn title?
There are only two ways:
Point B brings me to our next concern.
Click here to read more.