Lead Your "Title Tags" with Primary Keyphrases

In the source code of each webpage, title tags look like this:

<title>Write Your Title Here</title>

When search engines rank competing webpages, they give heavy weight to the words that appear in the title tags. So if your primary keyphrase is "campaign finance reform," then:

Don't confuse title tags and headlines. Unlike headlines, title tags are not displayed within the content of your webpage. Instead, title tags are displayed by search engines in their search results, like this:

To write an effective title tag, consider both your human and your computer audiences. When end-users view a blurb about one of your webpages on a search-engine results page, the title tag is the first thing they see, as well as the text link they click to visit your site. Often, users will determine whether or not to visit a site based solely on a page's title tag.

When writing title tags, be as straightforward as possible. Catchy phrases and vague language will not improve your search engine ranking. Web searchers will also be less inclined to click on search results that aren't clearly what they're looking for.

Keep your title tags under 60 characters. Longer titles will not be fully visible in popular search results.

Each webpage on your site should have a unique title tag that includes the page's primary keyphrase. Try to place that keyphrase as near to the beginning of the title tag as possible.
Consider the following title-tag examples:

In addition to including a webpage's primary keyphrase in the title tag, you can hedge your bets by including a less popular, secondary keyphrase as well.

Here's an example of a title tag that correctly uses both a primary keyphrase (e.g., "water conservation") and a secondary keyphrase ("save water"): Water Conservation Checklist - 10 Ways to Save Water

The Title Tag of Your Home Page

Your biggest decision will be which title tag to use for your home page. Avoid the temptation to lead with:

Instead, the title tag of your home page should lead with your most important keyphrase, followed by your organization's name. 
Here are a few examples of organizations that should do a better job with the title tags of their home pages:

* "Current" as of the time this chapter was written.