SEO (search engine optimisation) now lies at the core of practically all successful online marketing campaigns. If you want to stand a chance of having an effective SEO strategy in place then you need to master the art of the title tag.

Once content has been done, the title tag is the most important on-page SEO element. It plays a crucial role because it basically defines your content or web page in a few concise words. Not only this, but it appears in browsers, external websites and search engine result pages. Therefore its impact is very much felt.

A lot of people tend to operate by the following format; primary keyword and secondary keyword | brand name. There are then those who use this format; brand name | primary keyword and secondary keyword. There are others who do not even include the brand name at all. So, which is the correct option?

Let’s get the essentials right first…

Well, before we can delve into that, you need to have your essentials perfected. Firstly, the best title tags are those that have no more than 70 characters. Secondly, keyword implementation is essential.

This is something a leading digital marketing agency can assist with. And because of the weight associated with using keywords it is always better to have them at the beginning of the title tag. The closer they are to the opening the better.

Therefore, this already pretty much disregards the following format; brand name | primary keyword and secondary keyword.

But, should you include your brand name at the end of each title tag? The first thing you need to ask yourself is this: Is the brand going to make a difference? If people see your brand name are they going to be tempted to click on the link?

If the answer to this question is yes, then include it. In fact, in instances whereby companies are such dominant players in their industry, you can actually get away with using the brand name first. Why?

The brand is so popular and powerful this is going to be the reason why people click. However, this is a tactic only deployed for the majorly successful companies.

Nevertheless, all businesses have to start somewhere. Every company was practically unknown at some point. Therefore, how are you supposed to gain exposure and increase recognition if you don’t encompass your brand name?

The truth is; you are not going to. Using your brand name at the end of a title tag is an important and effective branding tool. More and more people will see your company’s name. The effect of this can be monumental.

Are there any downsides of including your brand name at the end?

The answer to this is; not really. The only negative is that your brand name will get cut off if the title is too long. Yet, as mentioned before, if you stick to the 70-character rule this should not be an issue.

Hopefully, you now have a better idea of mastering the art of the title tag in terms of where to incorporate your brand name. Nine times out of ten it is always recommended to include it, but do so at the end of the title tag.