Drive Traffic to Your HubPages - Tags and Title Matter!
75Tags & Title of Hub Can Improve Search Rank
Tags and Title Can Drive Traffic to a Hub
The tags and title that are given to every hub published on HubPages play a big role in driving traffic or not to each hub's doorstep. Successfully creating keyword-relevant tags and a title, therefore, should be a priority in every hub publisher's link building strategy.
As tempting as it may be for some writers, keyword research should never be rushed or overlooked, as it is the effective use of a variety of relevant keywords that can ultimately link a search performed on Google or other search engines to articles on HubPages.
The Purpose of Tags on HubPages
There seems to be a little mystery surrounding tags. Let's answer these questions one-by-one:
- What exactly are tags?
- How are tags used?
- Do tags increase search engine visibility?
Two Tags Must be Entered When Creating a New Hub
What exactly are tags?
Tags, as most hub authors probably have gathered, are keywords or keyword phrases that describe the content of a hub. Step #5 in creating a new hub, afterall, requires that at least two tags be entered either independently written or selected from the suggested list. Since the tags should always be relevant to the content of the hub, some authors may prefer to edit the original two required tags and enter more tags after the content of a hub is completely written.
How are tags used by the reader of a hub?
Tags appear as tiny bubbles on a published hub that are clickable. From a reader's perspective tags are a way to get additional information on a specific topic related to the hub. Hub's are placed into rather general topic categories like "gardening," but tags provide a way to find more specific related information like "rose gardening." If an author has published multiple hubs on rose gardening this is a good way to gain visibility and perhaps click-through.
Do tags increase search engine visibility?
Yes, if tags match a hub's content and are chosen well, tags can in fact improve search engine rank for any given hub, but in an indirect fashion. While these tags do not appear directly in a hub's source code, increasing search engine visibility through tags is accomplished through the links and resultant pages that HubPages creates.
HubPages uses tags and hub content to create its own additional hub page of links to any publisher's relevant hub. In other words, HubPages creates a page of backlinks based on a tag's topic and a hub's content. Try it out. Click a tag on another writer's hub (or your own if you sign out) and notice that the URL of the new page contains the tag text in it. If the URL text (which is the same as the tag) is also found in the content of the hub, then the hub may rank high on the resultant page. Not only are backlinks created to hubs (using the hub's title text as the link text to it), but if a hub is high in the list then click-through may occur.
Note that even if a hub does not include a particular tag, but the content within a hub is relevant, it is possible for that hub to still appear on the resulant page. Therefore, even if someone clicks on a tag on someone else's hub, your hub may appear in the results even if you did not use that tag but had matching content.
To get the most bang for your buck out of tags a variety of content-related, relevant keywords should be used in a hub's:
- tags
- title
- content
- summary
How the New Page Looks After a Tag is Clicked
The First Step in Creating a New Hub is Give it a Title
Content-Matching, Relevant Keywords in Titles Also Drive Traffic to Hubs
Like tags, the title given to a hub can drive traffic to a hub since it can increase search rank. Not only should the article's title contain keywords that are relevant to the content of the hub, but the keywords should also be central to the overall subject of the hub.
The title, entered in Step #1 when creating a new hub, can be edited even after the hub is published. Often, the importance of using keywords in titles is overlooked. For a good explanation of why keywords in the title matter to search engines read: Get Hits on HubPages - How to Use Keywords in all the Right Places.
Content-Appropriate Keywords in titles can increase search rank for a hub since:
- The title is also used to generate the H1 heading tag, and the H1 heading is an important element in search algorthms. For a complete explanation read: SEO Techniques: Heading Tags for HubPages or any Website
- The title in a website's source code <title> is considered an important element in search algorthms.
- The title appears in search engine results and not only becomes the link to the hub, but its words can encourage a viewer to click-through to the hub.
- The title appears in the results of the Tag HubPage. (Notice the hub title shown in the image above is also a backlink to the hub).
Conclusion
Google takes backlinks, page views, and length of page view into account in its search algorithm, among many factors. The effective use of keywords in a hub's tags and title, as well as content and summary, can can impact all three of these areas, thereby impacting search engine visibilty -- an indirect route to SEO, but a route nonetheless.
Additionally, backlinks, when accompanied with a well-worded relevant title and summary on a Tag HubPage, may increase a hub's click-through rate. And if the content of the hub matches a reader's expectations then the length of the page view likely will be longer. Not only is a longer page view important to Google, but it will also result in increased ad impressions!
Additional Help for Hubbers
- Make Money Online with HubPages - 3 Hubs that Get Lots of Search Traffic
The key to making money online with HubPages is search engine traffic. Take a detailed look at 3 HubPages articles that have accomplished this goal. - Get Hits on HubPages - How to Use Keywords in all the Right Places
Getting hits on HubPages by using google keywords effectively is a matter of knowing how to use keywords in each HubPage. Avoid common errors by learning where to use keywords exactly on each HubPage. Good Google keyword research is only the first st - SEO Techniques: Heading Tags for HubPages or any Website
HTML Heading tags used in HubPages or any website create a website structure, making it easy for people and search bots to read and store website contents. Placing keywords in headings should be part of your search engine optimization - SEO strategy. - HubPages - Getting the Most Out of the Hub Comment Section
If you want to make money with Hubpages, learn how the comment section of hubs can boost pageviews on HubPages. See an example showing how it's beneficial to put keywords or longtail keywords in a hub comment, as well.
Sign Up Here ... It's QUICK & FREE to join HubPages! You'll be glad you did!
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (15)
- Funny
- Awesome (1)
- Beautiful
- Interesting (2)
CommentsLoading...
Jean - I really do hope what has now turned into a bit of a series of hubs on really trying to help people with their hubs, does in fact really help people with their hubs and seo. I appreciate the votes!
Hi Jean, thanks for writing this hub. As a new hubber, this really explains the importance of tags and keywords which is something that I often don't take seriously and skip over in my eagerness to publish a hub. So reading this has been really useful to me. Thanks again.
Good Hub! Voted UP and Useful!.
Hi Sweetzara. It's ktrapp, but my middle name is Jean so Jean will do :) I know the feeling, my first few hubs I was very eager to get to the writing. The good news is that tags and titles can be edited. Don't rush the unique web address you give your new hub either because that can't be changed. I'm glad this has been useful to you.
Thank you Don. The votes and knowing that you found this article useful are very much appreciated.
Hey ktrapp/Jean really sorry about getting your name wrong the 1st time! :)
Another great hub, thank you. I am hoping you will write a hub with a little more information on Titles. I mean a discussion about something I call keyword stacking within a title. For example these keywords
high school, home school, school program
are all three of these seen by the search engine if your title is "High School Home School Program" or should you not duplicate the word school in the title.
And what about important key words that, by themselves are STOP WORDS to the search engines. Example
Picture to print and color. What key words does the search engine see in those words, is it
Picture to print or is it
picture to print and color or is it
"pictures to print" and "print and color"
It's not a problem at all :) I hesitated to point it out because it really doesn't make a difference to me in the least, but I thought it was ironic that it was my middle name.
You are welcome again coloringpagekids. I will have to answer your question more at length in a later. My faithful writing partner who is always by my side (aka Ruby the beagle) needs to be taken to the dog park.
In the meantime, can you clarify the last part about picture to print. I don't understand what you are asking.
As far as the title goes I wouldn't replicate words unless it is natural. Like ... "Home School Programs - They're for High School Students Too," or "Home School Programs - Kindergarten Through High School." Those are readable and natural and don't appear keyword-stuffed as opposed to just listing the words.
Useful information. I'll be thinking about this. Thanks
Mr-burns - Glad to have given you something to think about.
I need all the help I can get! Thanks
Sampupmoores - You are very welcome, glad I could help out.
Your hubs are clearly written with great indepth explanations. They are an eye opener and answer I have been looking for. I am so glad I found you and thank you for all your help. I have got more and more frustatrated and upset because I tried so hard. HP is a great place and I love here but the results got me down lately. I will try all your tips. I can see you have some true, open and honest advice.
Hello, hello - Thank you so much for your comments. I know it can be frustrating, especially when writers just want to write, but with a few extra steps you may get your writing better noticed through searches. I'm glad I could provide you and others with some of these pointers.
Thank you very much for share this valuable information. I learn much from you. I'll give more attention to this. Vote up and useful!
Prasetio
I'm glad to know you learned more about tags and title from this Prasetio30. Thanks for your comment and votes.
Thanks for another informative hub. Just realize that I did not add that many tags to my most recently published hub. Will correct that now. Thanks!
You are welcome Peggy and I'm glad this reminded you to add tags to your most recent hub.
I would add that if you are aiming to just get traffic from google, then not having quality content, but "great tags" you are a snking ship... that begin said, you are totally correct, if you don't have a good title or tags you'll be in trouble.
Thanks for your input Rebecca. You are absolutely correct. I would like to think that having quality content is a given, but perhaps for some it isn't. Great tags and a title are just window dressing if the content is not there. And just having quality content is like having a book without a cover. Search engine optimization takes all elements into account: tags, title, content and summary.
Sounds like an interesting Hubpage. I'll have to bookmark. I try to use as many of the Hubpages tools available to improve my Hubs. Thanks Rebecca.
Thanks Debby. I'm glad I could provide you with a helpful tool.
Hi Jean ~ I'm back and went through all your title suggestions, many of them I know, but putting all the tricks into place takes thought, research and time. Each hubpages article may take up to 4 or more hours, depending upon complexity. Looking forward to building a great Hubpages relationship with you. Hugs, Debby
Hi Debby - I think "sweetzara" accidentally calling me Jean is turning into somewhat of a trend in this hub's comments section. It's funny since that is my middle name :)
Anyway - thanks for your comments Debby. You're right, it does take time from start to finish for each hub. I find when I use all the available tools when first writing a hub is much easier and time-efficient than going back and touching up an already-published hub. Thanks for your valuable input.
Awesome!
Where you describe the "indirect" nature of tags' contribution to SEO visibility, I think you are stating the same thing that Greekgeek concluded in her long and excellent forum thread several hours ago about tags. Am I correct?
Howard, Greekgeek did have an excellent contribution in that forum. I think we did mirror some of the same ideas in terms of the indirect nature of tags in terms of SEO. I think of them as indirect because they help to create pages on HubPages in which one's hubs may appear and may be clicked on, and pageviews are just one of many things that Google takes into consideration.
Tags have always been somewhat of a problem for me, and I sometimes put in tags that are not all that relevant.
Your point the HP uses these tags to produce relevant hubs is well taken. We all find "relevant" hubs that aren't relevant at all, and these tags may well be a part of the problem. Far better that we all use truly relevant tags instead of just anything that might be somewhat appropriate.
Thanks - this hub has been really useful.
Thank you wilderness. Your comment is very well stated. There really is no trickery or games involved when it comes to seo. A relevant url, title, headings, content, summary, and tags all matter. When they are cohesive, the reader gets what they expect, and the odds of better search engine rank are so much improved because search engines have a full grasp of what a site is truly about.
As I must do some "travel waiting" over the next few days I plan to do some "how to write for the web" review. Your hubs are on that list. Seems like I need to line my understanding up with the facts and well-done hubs like this help, especially when they generate helpful comments. Thanks much!
Voted up and bookmarked.
That's quite a compliment RTalloni. I am so glad that you found these hubs about web/hub writing not only useful enough for your own work, but to review, as well. Thanks.
Thanks for decoding the mystery of tags. I've wondered about their relevance so now I know the answer.
Donna, You are certainly not alone in wondering about tags. I am glad to have been able to share some of their relevance with you and others. Thanks for your comment.
You are right - as writers we ignore this critical step. It is the key to target marketing - we cannot have readers unless we know what are readers are searching for - very helpful!
You are right GmaGoldie - This is certainly one step hub writers do not want to ignore. The wording of the title not only matters a lot for SEO, but it also is seen on search engine results pages and can be a determining factor on whether or not a site is clicked on or not. Thanks for your comment.
SEO is vital and you are a master at making this topic clear. Tags and titles really do matter. Very glad to include a link to this hub in my latest hub - Grab That Traffic!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Always happy to follow your hubs :)
Thanks for including a link to this hub on driving traffic to hubpages by way of effective use of tags and title to yours on grabbing traffic.
Traffic truly is up for grabs to anyone who publishes anything on the web, but publishers just need to know the tools for grabbing it. I think more and more people are interested in this topic, even more established hubbers, who may have felt the pain of lost traffic after Google's changes in the last year.
Thanks for you kind comments!
This is a great hub to bookmark. It's easier to write with for the search engines in mind when you have the knowledge. Voted up!
Excellent Hub!
Really made your points clear, this is a great resource for the new HubPage writer.
Maui-Dreamer - The title given to any hub or website matters so much when it comes to search engine visibility and perhaps even click-through. I'm glad you found this to be a helpful resource for new writers to HubPages.
Awesome! voted up!
jean2011 Level 4 Commenter 8 months ago
Every bit of information that will help to improve the writing of my hubs matters. So thank you again for sharing about the importance of title, tags, and keywords. I have voted this hub up and useful.