Chart: SEO Makeover on Journal Titles
One part of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is choosing the right keywords that will boost your work to the top of search engine result pages. The words you use in your titles are an important choice for a writer when it comes to ensuring your work is easily found in an internet search. Select keywords in your title are an integral part of how a reader can find your article. It is important to select one or two main keywords that offer a clear indication of your topic. Too many keywords can actually harm your title and make it so your article doesn’t appear in searches for your intended topic. See below how titles were changed for better search engine optimization (SEO) for discoverability by other scientists and the public.
The examples below come from SBM’s Translational Behavioral Medicine journal. Submissions were returned to authors with instructions to edit their titles for better search engine optimization (SEO) for discoverability by other scientists and the public.
Key changes made:
| ORIGINAL | EDITED FOR SEO |
| What Are We Really Saying? A qualitative review of parent and healthcare professional guidelines for speaking to children about overweight and obesity | Guidelines for caregivers and healthcare professionals on speaking to children about overweight and obesity |
| mHealth technologies addressing the HIV prevention and treatment continuum among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men: A systematic literature review | A systematic review of mHealth interventions for HIV prevention and treatment among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men |
| A systematic review of weight-related communication trainings for physicians: What do we know and how can we inform future development of training programs? | A systematic review of weight-related communication trainings for physicians |
| Tapping Technology for Gestational Weight Gain Interventions: A Systematic Review | A Systematic Review of eHealth Interventions on Gestational Weight Gain |
| Theory-based, parent-focused, randomized controlled trials to improve Human Papilloma Virus vaccine uptake in the United States: A systematic review | A Systematic Review of Interventions Targeting Parents to Improve Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake in the United States |
| How does stigma inform sexual and gender minority health interventions? A systematic review | A systematic review of stigma in sexual and gender minority health interventions |
| Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior and Substance Use in Adolescents and Emerging Adults: A Systematic Review | A systematic review of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and substance use in adolescents and emerging adults |
| Physical activity and quality of life: A review of the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines | A systematic review of physical activity and quality of life and well-being |
Here are some free resources you can use to help choose the right keywords.
Google Keyword Planner, Keyword Surfer, Ubersuggest, AnswerThePublic,