Title Tag

The title tag is the HTML element in the head of every web page that defines the page title. It is shown in the browser tab, used by search engines as the headline of the search result, and pulled as the default when the page is shared on social networks. That makes it both a ranking signal and the most important click element in a snippet.

Recommended length and structure

Google shows roughly fifty to sixty characters in full on average, then truncates. The most important keyword sits as far towards the front as possible, followed by a modifier such as the brand or a value proposition. The title should be unique for every subpage, otherwise pages cannibalise each other in the search results.

Common mistakes

Duplicate titles across multiple URLs, missing or empty titles, keyword stuffing and titles that overflow the snippet are the most frequent problems. Title and H1 should be topically related but not necessarily word for word identical, because the title is optimised for the click decision in the SERP, while the H1 fulfils the expectation set on the landing page.

In everyday marketing

When publishing a new landing page, check the title tag first in the browser tab and in a SERP preview. SEO browser extensions or a Search Console lookup show whether the configured title is actually used. If Google overrides the title, that is a sign that the wording is too generic or too spammy and should be reworked.