Writing [Tutorial] How to Create A Title That's Both Reader and SEO-Friendly

[Eldoria]

How to Create A Title That's Both Reader and SEO-Friendly​

Attention!
This thread is primarily intended for authors struggling to find a title for their fiction. This article is practical and opinionated, serving as meta-awareness, not a rule.
Recommended for web-based fiction, especially character-driven fiction. Not suitable for literary, mystery, and experimental fiction.​

A fiction title isn't a gimmick; it's the identity of your fiction. The title is how your fiction is called and recognised by both readers and non-readers (SEO).

There are thousands, even millions of fiction titles out there. If your title lacks identity, it's likely to sink and end up as a hidden gem.

Some works are very popular on one platform but lack SEO recognition outside of fiction platforms. Why? Because the title is too generic, the work may be popular on its platform, but compared to thousands of other titles with more popularity, it's likely to sink.

You need to consider finding a title that's both reader and SEO-friendly. This way, your title is easily recognised by both readers and SEO, especially if you want your fiction to be accessed globally by search engines.

Here's a practical guide to creating fiction titles that are both reader- and SEO-friendly. You can consider this or not, but for new writers (who haven't released fiction yet), it might be helpful (or it might not, after all, the title giver is the author, not me).

First, understand the premise of the fiction. Important! Before discussing SEO, you should understand for whom fiction is written for? Readers (humans, not bots).

An honest fiction title is one that represents your fiction. It can provide a picture of what your fiction will tell. Therefore, an honest title should be written from your fictional premise.

Second, identify what makes your fiction unique. This uniqueness can be anything from the theme, premise, to the MC's identity. Take one or more elements that make your fiction unique among thousands of others and make it your brand.

For example, Naruto has a unique MC. One Piece has a legendary treasure. Death Note has an absolute killer tool.

Third, create a title that connects emotionally with readers. This is more specific to character-driven fiction.

Look for a title that makes readers care about your fiction—usually related to everyday issues like the desire for a peaceful life, the desire to be loved, etc, or it could also contain darker elements like redemption, healing of trauma, etc.

Fourth, you might consider writing a title that is easy for the reader to visualise, whether it works symbolically, concretely or resonates with the reader. Put yourself in the reader's shoes. Is your title easy to visualise?

Fifth, write a unique title that reflects your fiction's brand. You can use a subtitle for additional explanation as needed.

For example, Frieren [FMC as the fiction's unique identity]: Beyond Journey's End [Subtitles as the premise of a person's life journey].

Sixth, conduct research and comparative studies on fiction titles. Is your title already used by other fiction? What are the search results for similar fiction titles in search engines?

If there's something similar and has strong popularity, you might consider revising your title, looking for better positioning.

Seventh (optional), build backlinks to your title to support SEO. You can publish your fiction on various platforms to build backlinks for search engines. You can also utilise blogs, social media, and fandoms to build backlinks.

This is hard work and a hassle. You can skip this step if you're aiming for organic backlinks. Your fiction might be discussed and shared in digital communities if it attracts a sufficient audience.

Note:
It's important to maintain a consistent fictional identity, especially the title and synopsis, as these are the elements that search engines will recognise as keywords. Search engines love structured and identical data.

Finally, the relationship between author and fiction is like that of a parent and child. Parents are free to name their children. However, good parents will give their children a good name that represents their hopes for their children.

This thread is simply a brief practical guide for meta-awareness, not a rule. As the author, you know what's best for your fiction. Good luck!

Best regards.

Spoiler: Case Studies...

The following is an analysis of fiction titles and their search results based on SEO. Three web novel fiction titles were taken as case studies.

First, "Blood Rose Princess" by Eldoria had been out for six months when this thread was created. It has been released on at least five platforms, including RR, SH, Honeyfeed, Inkitt, WebNovel, and FictionPress, and has a fandom.

Second, "Gifts From Detective Clara" by Eldoria has been out for over a month and is currently only available on RR.

Third, "The Revenant" by flareofhoarfrost has been out for almost a month and is only available on RR.

These three fiction titles will be analysed using Google and Grok (embedded search engines). If the titles are both reader-friendly and SEO-friendly, relevant results will likely be displayed.

Each fiction title will be given identical search instructions: "Please find a web novel with the title, 'related fiction title'!" And the results?

Spoiler: Blood Rose Princess

A. Grok:
Here is the web novel that matches the title "Blood Rose Princess" (or very closely aligns with it as the core identity of the protagonist):
Blood Rose Princess: Executioner of the Broken World

Platform: Royal Road
Link: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/122162/blood-rose-princess-executioner-of-the-broken
Synopsis:
What if the world chose to forget its saviour and its sins—while the saviour chose instead to protect her daughter’s innocence?
Seven years ago, the Memory Artefact shattered, erasing humanity’s recollection of its age of tyranny. Civilisation crumbled, the tyrants fell into an eternal sleep, and the victims woke with no memories of their suffering.
Only one person remembered everything: Marry El Rose, the Blood Rose Princess, the feared executioner who crucified tyrants with blooming roses of blood to avenge the voiceless.
Now, in a post-apocalyptic world, she hides her past to raise her innocent little daughter in peace—while the shadows of her bloody legend slowly creep back.

A closely related version (likely the same story or shared universe, with a more slice-of-life focus) is available on Scribble Hub:
Blood Rose Princess Just Wants to Live in Peace with Her Little Daughter

Link: https://www.scribblehub.com/series/...ts-to-live-in-peace-with-her-little-daughter/
Synopsis:
The world’s most feared bloody executioner, Marry El Rose (known as the Blood Rose Princess), now wants nothing more than for her daughter to laugh every morning.
She brought down tyranny with her own hands, but the world has lost its memory. In a remote village called Rose Valley, she lives a simple life with her cute, spoiled daughter Caelan—growing flowers, telling stories, and hiding her tragic past.

This dark fantasy web novel blends intense action, revenge, post-apocalyptic elements, and heartwarming mother-daughter moments. It's ongoing, with chapters regularly updated on both platforms. If you're looking for a powerful female lead who shifts from ruthless justice to protective motherhood, this is the perfect match!
Let me know if you'd like recommendations for similar titles or more details about the story.

B. Google:
Blood Rose Princess Just Wants to Live in Peace with Her ...

Royal Road
https://www.royalroad.com › fiction › blood-rose-princ...
Blood Rose Princess Just Wants to Live in Peace with Her Little Daughter [Motherhood Dark Fantasy]. by eldoria · Start Reading.Read more
5,0(1)
Missing: title, ‎| Show results with: title,
Recommendations - Looking for girl's love webnovels

Scribble Hub Forum
https://forum.scribblehub.com › ... › I'm Looking For...
3 Aug 2025 — The Blood Rose Princess series is a novel about sisterhood and motherhood. Rather than romance, it emphasises the importance of strong ...Read more
I'll review first chapters... | Page 3 - Scribble Hub Forum
164 posts
27 Jul 2025
Authors, please, recommend me your story! | Page 5
116 posts
15 Jan 2025
More results from forum.scribblehub.com
Post-Apocalyptic Web Novels to Read Free

Honeyfeed
https://www.honeyfeed.fm › novels
Blood Rose Princess Just Wants to Live in Peace with Her Little Daughter. What if the world chose to forget its saviour and its sins, while the saviour chose ...Read more
Tales of Death´s Daughter

Royal Road
https://www.royalroad.com › fiction › tales-of-deaths-d...
Blood Rose Princess Just Wants to Live in Peace with Her Little ...Read more
3,8(10)
Missing: title, ‎| Show results with: title,

Conclusion: The title of the Blood Rose Princess is very SEO friendly.

Spoiler: Gifts from Detective Clara

A. Grok:
After an extensive search across web novel platforms (like Webnovel, Royal Road, Scribblehub, and others), fiction databases, and general web results, I couldn't find any existing web novel, light novel, or serialized story exactly titled "Gifts from Detective Clara".
The phrase doesn't appear to match any published or ongoing work in the mystery, detective, fantasy, or romance genres on major web novel sites. Searches for similar titles or variations (including "Detective Clara" stories) turned up:

A character profile for a detective named Clara in the Royal Road web novel Blood Rose: Executioner of the Broken World — she's a conscience-driven investigator with a soul-judging ability, but the story's title and plot don't involve "gifts" in that way.
Various mystery/crime novels featuring detectives named Clara (e.g., Detective Clara Jefferies series by Wendy Clarke, or The Miss Clara Vale Mysteries), but none with the specific title you're looking for.
Lots of unrelated results about real-life "detective gifts" (like merchandise for police detectives), but nothing fictional matching the full title.

It's possible this could be:

A very niche or unpublished story
A fanfiction (though it doesn't show up on major sites)
A title that's slightly misremembered or translated differently
Or perhaps an original idea you're thinking of creating?

If you have more details (like the author, platform, genre, plot summary, or any key characters/events), I can dig deeper with a more targeted search! Alternatively, if you're looking for recommendations of similar detective-themed web novels (female leads, mystery-solving, supernatural gifts/abilities, etc.), let me know and I'd be happy to suggest some popular ones. ?

B. Google:
Royal Road
https://www.royalroad.com › fiction › blood-rose-princ...
Gifts from Detective Clara (Clara's prequel). Legion Empress: Iron Lady and Moonlight Princess (shared universe). Statistics. Overall Score; This fiction has ...Read more
5,0(1)
Missing: title, ‎| Show results with: title,

Conclusion: The title of the Gifts from Detective Clara is SEO friendly but not yet strong due to the lack of backlinks and its young age.

Spoiler: The Revenant

A. Grok:
The title "The Revenant" most famously refers to The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge by Michael Punke (published in 2002), which is a traditional printed novel rather than a web novel/serialized online story.
This book is a historical fiction based on the true story of frontiersman Hugh Glass, who was mauled by a grizzly bear, left for dead by his companions, and then crawled/trekked hundreds of miles across the wilderness seeking survival and revenge. It gained massive popularity after being adapted into the 2015 Oscar-winning film The Revenant starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
If you're looking for it in a serialized/web novel format (like on platforms such as Webnovel, Royal Road, or similar), there doesn't appear to be an exact match for a popular ongoing or completed web novel titled precisely "The Revenant". However, there are several similar or related titles in the web novel space that feature "revenant" themes (undead revenge, resurrection, dark fantasy, etc.):

Short/older works on Webnovel titled "The Revenant" by authors like TwistedSoul (seems to be a fantasy story, but very low visibility and possibly abandoned).
Other close variations like "The Revenant’s Fury", "Starborn Revenant", or "[Cursed Revenant]" — but none are exact title matches with significant readership.

If this isn't the one you're thinking of, could you provide more details (like genre — fantasy, revenge, cultivation, isekai? Or the platform where you heard of it)? That would help narrow it down, as "revenant" is a common trope in web novels! ?
If you're interested in the classic novel that inspired the movie, you can find The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge on major bookstores or e-book platforms. It's a gripping survival/revenge story with intense frontier atmosphere!

B. Google:
Elise Abram
https://eliseabram.com › tag › the-revenant
The Revenant: A YA Paranormal Thriller with Zombies can be found on Wattpad at https://www.wattpad.com/story/134197850-the-revenant. This is a completed novel ...Read more
Please find a web novel with the title, "The Revenant"! from eliseabram.com
The Revenant | Edwidge Danticat

Granta
https://granta.com › the-revenant
The Revenant. Edwidge Danticat. 'Doctor Berto came with a new stethoscope to ... Danticat's latest book, Claire of the Sea Light, was published in August 2015. Read more
Please find a web novel with the title, "The Revenant"! from granta.com
Limitless The Strongest Revenant - WebNovel

WebNovel
https://m.webnovel.com › Novels › Urban
I hope you find a book that brings you joy. Finally, to the readers who ... Welcome to the Revenant Project." After the senile bastard's words, I ...Read more
Please find a web novel with the title, "The Revenant"! from m.webnovel.com
The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge (Book)
Helen Plum Library
https://catalog.helenplum.org › Record
Punke, Michael. The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge. Picador, 2015. Note: Citations contain only title, author, edition, and publisher. Only UCL Harvard citations ...Read more

Conclusion: The fictional title of the Revenant is not unique - it already has an established IP, so the web novel title gets drowned out.

Title​	Grok​	Google​	Critical Note​
Blood Rose Princess	Accessible	Accessible	SEO Friendly
Gifts from Detective Clara	Not accessible	Accessible	SEO friendly but lacks backlinks
The Revenant	Not accessible	Not accessible	Generic title, drowned out by established IP.

 

[Nevafrost]

Asking for help heree.
"The Truth is Mysterious"
What will you think about this title? I'm rewriting my fiction. So, I might consider changing the title if it doesn’t seem compatible with the plot.

 

[Eldoria]

Asking for help heree.
"The Truth is Mysterious"
What will you think about this title? I'm rewriting my fiction. So, I might consider changing the title if it doesn’t seem compatible with the plot.

I don't know what your fiction is. That title sounds too abstract and generic. If your fiction is character-driven, then it's best to use the MC's nickname followed by the premise of your fiction.

 

[Macha]

First, understand the premise of the fiction. Important! Before discussing SEO, you should understand for whom fiction is written for? Readers (humans, not bots).

That's racist. You are excluding people who can't solve captcha.

Second, identify what makes your fiction unique. This uniqueness can be anything from the theme, premise, to the MC's identity. Take one or more elements that make your fiction unique among thousands of others and make it your brand.

For example, Naruto has a unique MC. One Piece has a legendary treasure. Death Note has an absolute killer tool.

And you have depression.

Third, create a title that connects emotionally with readers. This is more specific to character-driven fiction.

Look for a title that makes readers care about your fiction—usually related to everyday issues like the desire for a peaceful life, the desire to be loved, etc, or it could also contain darker elements like redemption, healing of trauma, etc.

The unstoppable marching of time that is slowly guiding us all towards an inevitable death.

Finally, the relationship between author and fiction is like that of a parent and child. Parents are free to name their children. However, good parents will give their children a good name that represents their hopes for their children.

Most people do not deserve to be and should not have become parents. They do not have the emotional intelligence in this society to meet a child's emotional needs and as a society we are way too lenient to that fact. Just because a child survives to 18 doesn't mean you're a successful parent. Screwed up adults don't come out of nowhere and "you tried your best" as a parent should not be said as much as it is. I believe that everyone would benefit from a parenting class before they leave the hospital. There’s so many bad practices that they try to pass down to new parents. Some people need to hear things like you can’t spoil a baby by responding when they cry. And the irony is that if "most" of these people decided to not have kids, you, me and a good portion of the people in this thread would not be here. At least now, seeking therapy is not as stigmatized and social media provides a plethora of info on psychology and human behavior. Not to mention the many books that are out there.

This is relevant because authors are like parents. The books are the children. Don't be a bad author. Before you become an author, learn how to become a good author. Complete your stories. Don't abandon them for no good reason. Control your urges to have more children before you finished raising your firstborn.

 

[Nevafrost]

I don't know what your fiction is. That title sounds too abstract and generic. If your fiction is character-driven, then it's best to use the MC's nickname followed by the premise of your fiction.

My fiction is very character driven as there are multiple MCs. So, I just can't put one of the MC's name in the title. My other babies will feel left out

 

[Eldoria]

Most people do not deserve to be and should not have become parents. They do not have the emotional intelligence in this society to meet a child's emotional needs and as a society we are way too lenient to that fact. Just because a child survives to 18 doesn't mean you're a successful parent. Screwed up adults don't come out of nowhere and "you tried your best" as a parent should not be said as much as it is. I believe that everyone would benefit from a parenting class before they leave the hospital. There’s so many bad practices that they try to pass down to new parents. Some people need to hear things like you can’t spoil a baby by responding when they cry. And the irony is that if "most" of these people decided to not have kids, you, me and a good portion of the people in this thread would not be here. At least now, seeking therapy is not as stigmatized and social media provides a plethora of info on psychology and human behavior. Not to mention the many books that are out there.

I don't know how to comment. Raising children is certainly not easy. And indeed, not all parents are good. There are bad parents. There are also parents who are too kind (spoil their children) so that their children become too naughty. However, as you said, if someone wants to be a parent, then learn how to be a good parent. Learn to nurture and care for children, and don't pass on bad habits to them. Being a parent is a choice; if someone chooses to be a parent, then be responsible until the end.

This is relevant because authors are like parents. The books are the children. Don't be a bad author. Before you become an author, learn how to become a good author. Complete your stories. Don't abandon them for no good reason. Control your urges to have more children before you finished raising your firstborn.

Well, starting to write fiction is easy, but finishing it is a challenge. As parents, writers must be responsible for their fiction to the end and provide a worthy ending. That requires consistency and sacrifice, of course. Every good parent does that.

 

[Bobple]

Titles are fun. They are either easy or hard. Never in-between.

Currently I have a story which I haven't posted yet, purely because I am still not happy with the title. Though one day I will find it!

 

[Grizzly18]

Also don’t make it too long. There’s this story on here called On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor. See the problem? It’s too long it’s not concise what’s wrong with On Astral Tides? Or another story I read on here called My dungeon life: rise of the slave harem. Same problem should have just left it at my dungeon life save the details about the slave harem for the synopsis.

 

[Eldoria]

My fiction is very character driven as there are multiple MCs. So, I just can't put one of the MC's name in the title. My other babies will feel left out

If you have multiple MCs, you can frame their identities into a group identity with a common interest, which can serve as your fictional brand.

For example, Yuru Camp has many cute FMCs. Each episode may feature a different FMC, but they're all connected by one common thread: their love of camping activities. They even form a camping group. And that's the essence of Yuru Camp.

 

[Macha]

If you have multiple MCs, you can frame their identities into a group identity with a common interest, which can serve as your fictional brand.

For example, Yuru Camp has many cute FMCs. Each episode may feature a different FMC, but they're all connected by one common thread: their love of camping activities. They even form a camping group. And that's the essence of Yuru Camp.

Another example is Higurashi with its several hundreds time loops. Each loop may feature a different character, but they're all connected by one common thread: their tendencies of getting murdered or driven insane.

 

[McPhoenixDavid]

How to Create A Title That's Both Reader and SEO-Friendly​

A fiction title isn't a gimmick; it's the identity of your fiction. The title is how your fiction is called and recognised by both readers and non-readers (SEO).

There are thousands, even millions of fiction titles out there. If your title lacks identity, it's likely to sink and end up as a hidden gem.

Some works are very popular on one platform but lack SEO recognition outside of fiction platforms. Why? Because the title is too generic, the work may be popular on its platform, but compared to thousands of other titles with more popularity, it's likely to sink.

You need to consider finding a title that's both reader and SEO-friendly. This way, your title is easily recognised by both readers and SEO, especially if you want your fiction to be accessed globally by search engines.

Here's a practical guide to creating fiction titles that are both reader- and SEO-friendly. You can consider this or not, but for new writers (who haven't released fiction yet), it might be helpful (or it might not, after all, the title giver is the author, not me).

First, understand the premise of the fiction. Important! Before discussing SEO, you should understand for whom fiction is written for? Readers (humans, not bots).

An honest fiction title is one that represents your fiction. It can provide a picture of what your fiction will tell. Therefore, an honest title should be written from your fictional premise.

Second, identify what makes your fiction unique. This uniqueness can be anything from the theme, premise, to the MC's identity. Take one or more elements that make your fiction unique among thousands of others and make it your brand.

For example, Naruto has a unique MC. One Piece has a legendary treasure. Death Note has an absolute killer tool.

Third, create a title that connects emotionally with readers. This is more specific to character-driven fiction.

Look for a title that makes readers care about your fiction—usually related to everyday issues like the desire for a peaceful life, the desire to be loved, etc, or it could also contain darker elements like redemption, healing of trauma, etc.

Fourth, you might consider writing a title that is easy for the reader to visualise, whether it works symbolically, concretely or resonates with the reader. Put yourself in the reader's shoes. Is your title easy to visualise?

Fifth, write a unique title that reflects your fiction's brand. You can use a subtitle for additional explanation as needed.

For example, Frieren [FMC as the fiction's unique identity]: Beyond Journey's End [Subtitles as the premise of a person's life journey].

Sixth, conduct research and comparative studies on fiction titles. Is your title already used by other fiction? What are the search results for similar fiction titles in search engines?

If there's something similar and has strong popularity, you might consider revising your title, looking for better positioning.

Seventh (optional), build backlinks to your title to support SEO. You can publish your fiction on various platforms to build backlinks for search engines. You can also utilise blogs, social media, and fandoms to build backlinks.

This is hard work and a hassle. You can skip this step if you're aiming for organic backlinks. Your fiction might be discussed and shared in digital communities if it attracts a sufficient audience.

Note:
It's important to maintain a consistent fictional identity, especially the title and synopsis, as these are the elements that search engines will recognise as keywords. Search engines love structured and identical data.

Finally, the relationship between author and fiction is like that of a parent and child. Parents are free to name their children. However, good parents will give their children a good name that represents their hopes for their children.

This thread is simply a brief practical guide for meta-awareness, not a rule. As the author, you know what's best for your fiction. Good luck!

Best regards.

For some reason, this post feels like I've read it yesterday...

 

[Eldoria]

For some reason, this post feels like I've read it yesterday...

Well, your thread made me write this. I've actually been meaning to write this for a while now... but I was hesitant (since fiction titles often fall into the artistic realm) until I saw your thread and realized this is a real problem for authors.

 

[Kitsuna]

Also don’t make it too long. There’s this story on here called On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor. See the problem? It’s too long it’s not concise what’s wrong with On Astral Tides? Or another story I read on here called My dungeon life: rise of the slave harem. Same problem should have just left it at my dungeon life save the details about the slave harem for the synopsis.

Don't tell him about my titles...

 

[McPhoenixDavid]

Don't tell him about my titles...

I would say this a successful fiction.

 

[tentacle_master]

Also don’t make it too long. There’s this story on here called On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor. See the problem? It’s too long it’s not concise what’s wrong with On Astral Tides? Or another story I read on here called My dungeon life: rise of the slave harem. Same problem should have just left it at my dungeon life save the details about the slave harem for the synopsis.

Are my titles too long ? Should I just shorten it to "gacha-addicted stepsis" and"tentacle girls"?

 

[Eldoria]

Are my titles too long

Long titles are usually SEO-friendly, but they can seem cringy to readers.

 

[FRWriter]

I should have read this advice before creating my stories... sadly, it's too late for that.

Always GOOGLE and use other search engines before picking out a title. If you aren't doing like that, like me, you run the risk of noticing that your title already EXISTS.

 

[Kitsuna]

I would say this a successful fiction.View attachment 44598

It's okay, I think . It used to be another story, before I completely changed it

 

[Envylope]

Ahem, what is an SEO?

 

[Eldoria]

Ahem, what is an SEO?

SEO—short for search engine optimization—is about helping search engines understand your content, and helping users find your site and make a decision about whether they should visit your site through a search engine.

SEO Starter Guide: The Basics | Google Search Central | Documentation | Google for Developers

A knowledge of basic SEO can have a noticeable impact. Explore the Google SEO starter guide for an overview of search engine optimization essentials.

developers.google.com