State Abbreviations and/or Fully Spelled Out?

[lbohen]

Should State names be abbreviated and/or fully spelled out in title tags, meta descriptions and body content?

Does Google know that VT = Vermont?

[RyanKent]

"Does Google know that VT = Vermont?"

Yes. Try this search: https://www.google.com/search?q=vt&gl=us&pws=0

Notice on the right side of the screen Google offers information on two topics: Virginia Tech and Vermont. Google knows your query likely pertains to one of these topics but is unsure which, so it offers both.

"Should State names be abbreviated and/or fully spelled out in title tags, meta descriptions and body content?"

In content, you should use whatever format you feel would best connect with your reader. If I was to mention Los Angeles, I would not typically feel the need to mention California since the city is recognized world-wide.

For Miami, there is both Miami, Ohio and Miami, Florida. If I was writing about Miami Ohio, I would definitely mention the state name. If I was writing about Miami Florida, most readers would automatically make the connection to Florida, especially if I mentioned anything to do with the ocean, a major city, etc.

For meta descriptions, most of the above applies but you are once again focused on connecting with your reader. The main goal is to improve click-through-rate for your search listing.

For Title Tags, this should be decided first. The title should be closely aligned, or perfectly matched, to the keyword focus of the article. Otherwise, it again can depend on the situation. Take a look at the following example:

Miami Dolphins start the season 6-0. It is unlikely you would ever wish to add FL or Florida to that tag.

You can perform keyword research to determine which version has more traffic. Many SEOs will make the decision in that manner.

Consider the following exact match local monthly search volume in Google.com:

homes for rent in orlando  2400

homes for rent in orlando fl 1300

homes for rent in orlando florida 260

Clearly, the preference is not to use state information based if your focus is finding the maximum search volume for this query. But what about....

homes for rent in jacksonville  110

homes for rent in jacksonville fl  3600

homes for rent in jacksonville florida  210

In this instance, adding the abbreviated state name to the query is very important.

As with most SEO related questions, the topic can go a bit deep. Keyword research is a critical component to a successful SEO campaign, and takes time, testing and experience to find the optimal variation of the term.

Best of luck.

[lbohen]

In your examples of homes for rent in orlando & jacksonville, would the formats with the highest results (2400 & 3600) ALSO include all the results in the lower number formats?

In cases where you want to mention the state, would presenting it like this be harmful?

VT | Vermont

[RyanKent]

"would the formats with the highest results (2400 & 3600) ALSO include all the results in the lower number formats?"

The search volume information provided is Local Monthly Searches based on Exact Match. You can read more about Exact Match here: http://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2497825?hl=en

"In cases where you want to mention the state, would presenting it like this be harmful?"

Each time you add a new term to a title tag, you are increasing the page's relevancy to the new keyword at the cost of decreasing it to the previous keyword. Let's enter the theoretical world where all things are equal:

Title 1 - Homes for rent in orlando

Title 2 - Homes for rent in orlando fl

Title 3 - Homes for rent in orlando fl | florida

The problem with the 3rd option is it would never result in an exact match, which is the strongest relevancy boost possible. Personally, I cannot think of a scenario where I would ever use such a format.

All things being equal, if a user search for "homes for rent in orlando" then the first title wins (i.e. ranks highest). If a user searches for "homes for rent in orlando fl" then the second title wins.

The reality is this keyword is so competitive that anything short of a perfect match is not likely to get you in to the top 5 results.

Homes.com, Trulia.com, craigslist.org, Realtor.com, rentals.com, ForRent.com, etc. These are the sites which rank for the term. In fact, if you don't break the top 3 results, then the local results push you so far down the page, you might as well not exist.

When optimizing a title tag, the approach I take is to think as if I needed to rank #1 for the term. Once you achieve that goal, you can change your strategy and diversify. Until then...eye of the tiger.