by Len Morse

Created on: September 16, 2009

An online article title can sometimes help make or break the article's popularity. People use search engines to find their favorite subjects by typing in not only the name, but sometimes also a specific phrase or question about the subject. As a writer, you should be familiar with what terms people plug in to Google and other search applications, so that you can craft a descriptive, succinct, searchable title for your article.

What specific terms do people search for? The following list outlines various types of searchable article titles and the accompanying subject and writing style.

== Explanation Titles ==

- How to

Examples: How to learn HTML; How to handle dry ice safely

Use this popular phrase when offering your expert perspective and experience. This article describes, in detail, a physical or intellectual process that you believe many folks are curious about. You could include a sequential list of items for easier reading.

- Tips/Advice/Ideas/Suggestions

Examples: Writing tips; Jet lag advice; Woodcarving design ideas

Give tips, tricks, traps, and warnings that go beyond the normal "How to" or common knowledge of a subject. Tips are extremely detailed recommendations that frequently come from vast experience and/or research. Specify if your advice is from second-hand experience (i.e. a friend did it, not you).

- Basic/Introduction/Beginners

Examples: The basics of tact; Hiking for beginners; Introduction to Goth fashion

Focus on a subject, whether it is general or a niche topic, and write for those who are just starting to learn it. Include enough information for an easily understandable overview of your topic, but don't inundate your audience with too many details.

- Advanced/Specialization/Experts

Examples: Expert's guide to geography; Advanced origami

These titles cover the wiser and presumably richer end of the experience spectrum. If you're a topic expert who remembers your beginner days, but does not want to write for beginners, you don't have to. Write for fellow experts using the terms and nomenclature of the industry, perhaps also dividing your topic into specific parts.

- Importance/Reasons/Why

Examples: The importance of comic relief; Reasons to work for the government

Tell the "why" instead of the "how." Explain your subject's significance to readers who may have been wondering about it. In addition to reviewing overall importance, describe the reasons behind a particular physical trait, common action, or way of thinking.

== List Titles ==

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