With just 140 characters available, creating Twitch titles that are engaging, SEO-friendly, and interesting can be a challenge for some content creators. However, it’s one of the most important parts of setting up your stream if you plan on pulling in new viewers.
And while some have argued that Twitch titles have little to no impact on Google SEO (search engine optimization), that doesn’t mean they should be ignored or disregarded (this claim is also not an established fact, so why risk it with a weak title?).
Related: Yes, You Should Use A Twitch Closed Captions Extension in 2023
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In fact, Twitch titles are exactly what Google sees when visitors look for content like yours. Games may be sorted by categories, but Twitch titles help visitors and search engines identify what type of content viewers can find on any given stream.
“Use keywords in the title of the stream. Relevance to the games and topics of your broadcasts is also important. So try to stand out.”
TWADS.GG
TWADS.GG goes on to argue that the text found in your panels is just as important as the title text, which makes sense in regard to how SEO works in general. However, if this is true, the title becomes even more important for single streams.
Let us explain.
How does SEO work?
When drafting an article, we’re highly encouraged to write for SEO. What does this mean? In short, it means identifying a keyword or phrase you’d like to write about and then using it to create content structured to speak to what the visitor may be looking for if they’re searching for that keyword. For example, in this post, our keyword is “Twitch titles.” If we’ve done our jobs, anyone searching for “Twitch titles” will find this post if they search long enough on Google.
But we’re not relying on just the title to pull new viewers from Google. In any given post, we’re likely to use that keyword at least five times in the title, content, captions, and alt text (alternative text used to describe images for blind users).
When Google scans this page, they’ll find “Twitch titles” and related information about that topic peppered throughout. The better the content, the more likely we’ll be discoverable on the SERP (search engine results page).
Similarly, TWADS.GG argues that the panels on your Twitch page add text value to your stream like the words in this article. If that’s the case, the discoverability of your stream will always rely heavily on your main page’s theme, which is kind of a bummer, honestly.
For example, if you’re a competitive Fortnite streamer, chances are you’ve filled your landing page with content that is related to Fortnite, like a Fortnite Tracker panel or Fortnite-themed skin. If TWADS.GG is correct, this means that no matter what game you stream, Google will only skew Fortnite-related searches to your page. Oof.
This is why Twitch titles matter
If Google uses Twitch panels as well as Twitch titles to rank your stream, no matter what game you play, you’ll always be whatever your panels say you are on the SERP. In fact, continuing down this line of thinking, at best your stream will confuse Google when you play a game unrelated to the content in your panels.
But does this add up?
Google updates its algorithm regularly (unfortunately). This means the highly sophisticated engine that owns over 90 percent of search traffic is always up-to-speed on the purpose and functionality of a range of websites, Twitch included.
What is more likely is that Google knows very well that your panels play a much smaller role in determining what any given stream is about. This is why we’d argue that the title is the most important piece of text in your stream metadata.
For instance, when Twitch began integrating with Amazon Luna we ran several tests on the service. In our title, we’d typically say something like, “Streaming on Amazon Luna with a $100 rig, get started on Twitch without the expensive setup.” Using this title, we said several things.
- What we’re doing (streaming)
- What device we’re using (Amazon Luna)
- What we want to accomplish (streaming on Twitch)
- Why the stream is relevant (demonstrating a way to stream on Twitch inexpensively)
During those streams, doing nothing but playing the game with no voice or PIP, we’d see up to 10 viewers at any given time with new visitors joining, checking out the content, deciding to follow (or not), and then bouncing (we’re not serious streamers).
On the other hand, when we used Twitch titles like, “Playing the Division 2, going for broke!,” we’d only see 2-3 visitors dropping in and out of the stream. Some engaged, and some didn’t.
Why?
Because the phrases “Amazon,” “Amazon Luna,” and “Twitch” get a lot of traffic online – much more than “The Division 2.” And since we’re clearly defining what our stream is about, Google’s algorithm has a better understanding of why we’re streaming and can match our content to that of a user’s search terms and the expected results Google believes viewers are looking for.
Final words
Using Twitch titles that accurately describe your stream will help Google determine what visitors can reasonably expect if they click on the stream link. There are a number of techniques to improve user engagement in your title, like including a funny joke, a catchphrase, or a challenge with clear goals and objectives. However, ensuring your title is descriptive, brief, and clear in intent is critical to helping Google make heads or tails of what type of content visitors will find if they check out your stream.
For this reason, we highly encourage streamers to create titles that clearly state what the stream is about, not what is on your Twitch landing page.
As you evolve as a streamer, fitting in jokes and catchphrases will come much more naturally to you, giving you the flexibility to create engaging content that is also SEO-friendly.
Happy streaming!