Meta title CTR, table of contents, and internal/external linking

Writing a click-worthy meta title, installing a table-of-contents plugin, and the rules for internal and external linking on a post.

Meta title and description optimization

Slug/permalink — short, keyword-rich, SEO-friendly (e.g. /streamer-vs-inen-review).
Meta title length — keep to 50–60 characters; avoid titles that are too short or too long.¹

Writing a perfect meta title

Focus on CTR — use engaging, clickable wording that grabs attention.
2-2-3 keyword pattern — 2 primary + 2 secondary + up to 3 LSI keywords.
Add a branded word where possible, e.g. "Streamer vs Inen — Honest Review | MyTechBlog".
Use dynamic components — a year or number can lift CTR by signalling freshness.
Avoid underscores — use hyphens in URLs and slugs, always.
No special characters — avoid unnecessary symbols or emojis in the title.
Optional freshness feature — some plugins or dynamic title settings can auto-update a date in the title to keep it looking current.

Example — basic vs CTR-focused:

Basic: "Streamer vs Inen: Which is Best for Streaming?"
CTR-focused: "Confused Between Streamer & Inen? Click to See a Detailed Comparison"

Tools for meta optimization

Install a "Detailed SEO" Chrome extension to see meta title/description length in real time, including pixel-width rendering, and add the brand name at the end of the title for trust.

Table of contents plugin

Plugin: Easy Table of Contents. It helps both Google and users understand page structure.

Setup: enable it for Posts and Pages, show a header label above the table, and display the table before the first H2.

Internal linking

Link your own related posts to each other using helpful, relevant anchor text — never stuff exact-match keywords as the anchor.
Add at least 2 internal links per 1,000 words.
Never use the page's own primary keyword as internal anchor text.
When an existing article already covers a topic deeply, prefer linking to it internally over sending the reader externally.

External linking

Add up to 1–2 external links per 1,000 words.
Only link out to authority sites (e.g. Wikipedia, government sources) for credibility.
Never link to a competitor, and never link to spammy or low-quality sites.

Add core articles/pages to the main navigation menu — pillar content like "Best Streaming Apps" or "APK Installation Guide" belongs directly in the menu, since it helps search engines understand the site's overall structure.

Recap

Optimize meta title and description for CTR.
Use SEO plugins for accuracy.
Install a TOC plugin for structure.
Follow the internal/external linking rules above.
Keep the navigation menu optimized around your most important content.

iSkills SEO course notes, compiled 2025. ↩