When we work with online vape shops through our vape SEO service, one of the most common issues we see is that they often they often tend to use the meta titles generated by their content management systems instead of crafting original meta titles of their own.

If you’re creating a new product page in Shopify or WooCommerce, for instance, your site automatically populates the meta title field with the name of the product and the name of your website.

Why is that a problem?

It’s a problem because the meta title of a page is one of the primary aspects of the page that Google’s algorithm uses when determining what the main idea of that page is. It’s your chance to tell Google exactly what keyword phrase is most relevant for that page.

Google cuts off long meta titles after about 60 characters, so there’s no chance to stuff irrelevant keywords into a page’s title. Since your space is limited, Google takes a page’s meta title seriously and uses it as a major ranking factor.

Also, unlike meta descriptions – which may or may not appear in search results – Google almost always shows a page’s meta title on search results pages. So, in addition to expressing a page’s main idea, a meta title is also one of your best opportunities to pre-sell people on your site and encourage them to click through.

In short, if you’re using auto-generated meta titles on your vape site, you’re missing out on a lot of organic traffic.

In this article, we’re going to show you exactly how to write high-ranking and high-converting meta titles for every type of page on your vape site including your home page, your product pages, your category pages and your blog posts. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll have a new tool in your SEO arsenal that never fails to help your site stand out.

What Are Meta Titles, and Why Should You Care?

A meta title is a short and snappy summary of what your web page is about. It’s the HTML tag that tells the search engines and the users what to expect from your page. It’s a key ranking factor because it helps Google understand the page’s content and match it to the user’s query. It’s also one of the most important click-through factors because it helps people decide whether to click on your page or not.

A good meta title should have the following qualities:

• It should include your main keyword and match the intent behind that keyword. The keyword should almost always be at the very beginning of the title.
• It should be clear, concise and descriptive.
• It should be unique; you don’t want to have two pages on your site with the same meta title.
• It should be catchy, compelling and persuasive. You want to show a potential customer that your page provides exactly what they’re looking for.
• It should be no longer than about 60 characters. If a title is longer than that, Google may cut it off when displaying it on results pages. Moz.com has a title preview tool that you can use to check title length.
• It shouldn’t use any keyword phrase more than once.

To see the title tag of any page, view the page’s source code. This is usually done by right-clicking inside the page and selecting “View Page Source.” The page’s title is between the “<title>” and “</title>” tags, which are generally near the top of the source code. The meta title is also usually displayed in the browser tab.

In the next sections, we’ll show you how to create meta titles that meet these criteria for different types of pages, using some generic examples that could work for any vape company. First, though, let’s discuss why the meta titles for different types of pages need slightly different strategies.

Why Different Types of Pages Need Different Meta Titles

Not all pages are created equal. Depending on the purpose and the content of your page, you’ll need to use different strategies and techniques to write your meta titles.

• Home Page: The meta title should put your brand name first and foremost because you want people to remember the name of your company after they’ve left your site. Never use a generic term like “Online Vape Shop” in place of your real brand name. If you have room to express an additional value proposition – “Free Shipping Nationwide,” for instance – you should do so.
• Product Page: The meta title should include the name of the product first. Use additional space to include alternate keyword phrases that apply to the product. The meta title for a device like the SMOK Novo 4, for example, might benefit from the additional keyword phrase “compact pod vape.”
• Category Page: Category pages are your best opportunities to rank for broad search terms. The first keyword phrase in the meta title for a category page should always be the highest-volume search term that people use when looking for that type of product, such as “Vape Juice.” Use additional space to list popular brands listed in that category or to add a hook – such as a free shipping offer – that encourages people to click through to your site.
• Blog Post: The meta title for a blog post should always include the keyword phrase that a potential reader would be likely to use when looking for that type of content. Try to also include an additional hook or value proposition that promises a benefit from reading.

With those summaries out of the way, let’s dig a bit more deeply into each page type.

Creating a Meta Title for Your Vape Shop’s Home Page

Your home page is the face of your website. It’s the page that introduces your brand, your products and your services to your potential customers. The meta title should be clear and compelling, and it should include your brand name and your main keyword. For example:

VapeShop.com: Buy Authentic Vapes and Cheap E-Liquids

This meta title tells the users that they can buy various vaping products from your website, and it also includes the high-volume keywords “vapes” and “e-liquids.”

Here are some tips to write a great meta title for your home page:

• Use your brand name or domain name as the first element of your meta title. Most people won’t buy immediately when visiting your site for the first time. It’s crucial to make sure that people will remember the name of your vape shop after the visit ends.
• Use a colon or a dash to separate your brand name from keywords or your value proposition, as it can help with readability and clarity.
• Use your main keyword or a variation of it, as it can help with relevance and ranking.
• Use a modifier or a benefit that sets you apart from your competitors, as it can help with differentiation and persuasion.
• Keep your meta title within 60 characters, as it is the maximum length that most search engines display without truncation.

Here are some examples of home page meta titles that you should avoid.

• Meta Title: Vape Shop
• Why It’s Bad: It’s too vague and generic, and it doesn’t include a keyword or value proposition.
• Meta Title: VapeShop.com – The Best Online Store for Vaping Products and More
• Why It’s Bad: It’s too long, and “the best” is a generic modifier that does not convey any specific benefit. Also, “vaping products” isn’t a keyword phrase that receives significant search volume. It’s important to know what keywords you’re targeting and why.
• Meta Title: VapeShop.com | E-Cigarettes, E-Liquids, Mods, Tanks, Coils, Batteries, Chargers, Cases, and More
• Why It’s Bad: It includes too many keywords, which can make it look spammy and confusing. It’s also too long.

Creating Meta Titles for Your Vape Shop’s Category Pages

Category pages are pages that list products by characteristics like type, brand or flavor. If your vape shop sells e-liquid, for instance, you might have a main “Vape Juice” category page listing all of the e-liquids on your site in addition to smaller category pages for each e-liquid brand. The SEO of your category pages is crucial because these pages often target keywords that receive very high search volume.

A category page should always include the main keyword that a potential customer would use when looking for that type of product. If you have additional room, add a modifier that makes the page more specific or appealing. For example:

Pod Vapes: Pod Systems from SMOK, Uwell, Vaporesso and More

This meta title includes the category name “pod vapes”, which is also a keyword that users might search for. It includes a few popular brand names as well, which can help with user intent and may potentially match more queries.

All of the tips that we provided above for your home page’s meta title also apply to the meta titles of your category pages. With category pages, though, it is particularly important to include modifiers or keyword variations to help with specificity and relevance.

Here are two examples of category page meta titles that you should avoid.

• Meta Title: Pod Vapes
• Why It’s Bad: It’s too short and generic, and it does not include any modifier or benefit.
• Meta Title: Pod Vapes – Buy Cheap and High-Quality Pod Vapes Online
• Why It’s Bad: It uses a contradictory modifier. You wouldn’t want to use “Cheap” and “High-Quality” to describe the same product.

Creating Meta Titles for Your Vape Shop’s Product Pages

In terms of revenue generation, product pages are the most important pages on your website because people search online for specific products when they’re ready or almost ready to buy. With that in mind, you need to take as much time as necessary to ensure that your vape shop has perfect product pages.

The meta title for a product page should always include the brand and name of the product. If possible, you should also include a modifier that adds additional keywords to the title or encourages people to click through. Here are a couple of examples:

• SMOK Novo 4: Best Pod Vape for Flavor – Free Shipping
• SMOK Novo 4: Best Pod Vape, Variable Wattage and Airflow Control

The first title conveys the benefit of free shipping if your vape shop happens to offer that, while the second includes two key features of the Novo 4. Both titles include the keyword phrase “Best Pod Vape.”

Creating Meta Titles for Your Vape Shop’s Blog Posts

Blog posts are articles that provide useful information, tips, guides, reviews, or opinions related to your niche. Although blog posts generally don’t lead directly to sales, they’re still important for your vape shop’s SEO because they can capture traffic for informational search terms, which often receive high volume.

A person who visits a blog post may not be ready to buy a product right now, but that person may remember your vape shop’s name when he or she is ready to buy. In that sense, a blog post that’s helpful and informative cultivates trust and builds brand awareness.

Great blog posts can also attract organic links, and everyone knows that getting vape backlinks is hard to do.

An effective meta title for a blog post should always include the main keyword that a person might use when looking for the type of information that the post contains. You should make the title as specific as possible and use any remaining space to hook a potential reader by promising a benefit. For example:

Here’s the Best Pod Vape that’s a Hit with Seattle’s Vapers

This meta title includes the article’s primary keyword phrase, which is “Best Pod Vape.” It also includes “Seattle” as a modifier that might help the article capture local search traffic. Finally, the title conveys the sense that the reader might miss out on a great new product if he or she doesn’t click the link.

Here are a few examples of blog post meta titles that aren’t as effective as they could be.

• Meta Title: Nicotine Strength
• Why It’s Bad: It’s too short and generic. It doesn’t include a hook or modifier and doesn’t clearly explain the information contained in the article.
• Meta Title: How to Choose the Right Nicotine Strength for Your Vape – Everything You Need to Know
• Why It’s Bad: It’s too long. “Everything You Need to Know” is generic and doesn’t convey a specific benefit.
• Meta Title: Choosing the Right Nicotine Strength for Your Vape | VapeShop.com
• Why It’s Bad: It doesn’t include a hook that makes the user want to click through.

Putting It All Together: The Dos and Don’ts of Meta Titles

You’ve learned how to write effective meta titles for all of the different types of pages on your vape shop’s website, but there are some general best practices and common mistakes that you should keep in mind when creating your meta titles. Here are some dos and don’ts that will help you optimize your meta titles for both search engines and users.

• Do use unique and relevant meta titles for each page, as it can help you avoid confusion and duplication issues.
• Don’t use the same meta title for multiple pages. This confuses Google’s ranking algorithm.
• Do use one or two keywords that match the user’s intent and the page’s content, as it can help you rank higher and attract more clicks.
• Don’t use too many keywords, or the title will end up looking spammy and unnatural.
• Do use accurate and honest meta titles that describe the content on the pages.
• Don’t use misleading or clickbait meta titles that trick users into clicking and ultimately leave them feeling disappointed.
• Do use standard characters and punctuation to ensure that all browsers will display the titles correctly.
• Don’t use unnecessary or inappropriate punctuation or symbols.
• Do use title case or sentence case for your meta titles.
• Don’t capitalize words inappropriately.
• Don’t use meta titles with no capitalized words.