There was a lot of interest at the Writing for the Web Workshops in Search Engine Optimization and the role of title tags. Here's the rundown.

Theories abound on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) -- getting your page to rank higher in a search return.

The search engines are constantly changing their analytics as web page authors try to outsmart them in a constant game of virtual cat and mouse.

Ranking high in theories of what works best for SEO is title tags.

What is a Title Tag?

A title tag is the name of each page that is displayed at the top of the browser window. And if your browser supports tabs, it's also the title displayed in the tab.

Site Builder assigns the program or page title as the title tag by default.

Implementing this in ANR Web sites is easier said than done. We're Beta testing an interface in Site Builder so you can edit your title tags. The Web Action Team is also looking at ways to integrate a title tags editor into web sites that use other systems like the Datastore.

While interest in title tags is high, remember --

• Good content containing key words and phrases will always be more effective than anything you do with title tags.
• Title tags are not a substitute for meta tags - they are visible. Choose your additional phrases well. Don't junk up your title tag. It should be simple, elegant, and effective.
• The title tag becomes the name of your site in a search return. It is also the name of your site when bookmarked.
• Most agree that meta tags are no longer relevant to search engine optimization.

If you want to learn more about Search Engine Optimization,
the site Your SEO Plan contains good information.

The article How to Optimize for Google contains a good explanation of the role of title tags in Google searches.