| Episode 17 of the "2 Minute Approval Tips" Video Series There are many elements that go into a great article title: correct grammar and spelling, an optimized hook, reader benefit-oriented keywords, a balanced use of long-tail keywords, relevance to the article, and proper character usage. In all the hustle and bustle of article writing, character usage is often overlooked. Proper character usage is important for readability, credibility, syndication, and much more. Watch this video and discover what special characters are allowed in your titles for your next set of quality, original articles! 
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    A Quick Recap of the 17th "2 Minute Approval Tip" Your title is the first impression your reader has of your article, so it's important it's a good one. Since the title is the first thing your reader sees, you want to make sure your title is: - Specific
- To the Point
- Relevant to Your Article Body
- Uses Proper Characters
Some special characters are allowed in the title, but it takes some getting used to in order to ensure you are using proper characters. Acceptable Special Characters The Editorial Guidelines state that the following characters are allowed in titles: , ? ! $ [ ] ( ) _ + - = : / \ Periods are accepted only when used in: - Product Names (e.g. Version 2.0)
- Numbers (e.g. 10.5 mm Lens)
Asterisks are allowed only when preserving brand names (e.g. E*TRADE). Special Characters to Avoid Titles become a permanent link to your article, which is why characters not compatible with URL formatting are not acceptable in your articles. The following characters are not allowed because they are incompatible with URL formatting: < > & ~ # | @ Additional characters not accepted in article titles: - Characters or symbols not found on the American-English keyboard (e.g. € £ © ™ ®).
- Using quotes around your entire title (e.g. "Readers Will Think You Didn't Write The Article").
- Using a symbol in place of a word is not acceptable (e.g. Make More $ $ $ in Half the Time is not acceptable; however, Make More Money in Half the Time is acceptable).
Optimize Your Title To ensure your titles make a great impression: - Quickly skim the title. If anything catches your eye other than the words, you may want to change it.
- Ask a family member or friend if they think the title works.
- Check out the EzineArticles Editorial Guidelines for additional tips on titles.
There you go! Another 2 Minute Approval Tip to getting your articles approved on the very first submission. Keep these tips in mind when writing your next article title. To check out the entire "2 Minute Approval Tips" series, click here. Then, put all the "2 Minute Approval Tips" to good use by writing your next set of high-quality, original articles for more traffic back to your website or blog. Submit any questions or comments on special characters here! | 
To Your Article Writing Success & Passion!
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