Title Tags
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A title tag (also called a meta title or page title) is the HTML element that defines the title of a webpage. It appears in three places: the browser tab, search engine results, and link previews when a page is shared on social media or messaging apps.
<title>Title Tags: What They Are and How to Write Them | the seo handbook</title>Why do title tags matter for SEO?
Title tags are one of the most significant on-page ranking factors. Google uses the title to understand what a page is about and to match it to relevant queries. Beyond rankings, a well-written title directly influences whether someone clicks your result, which makes it a conversion lever as well as a ranking signal.
How do you write a good title tag?
Keep it under 60 characters. Google typically displays around 600px of title width on desktop, which is roughly 55 to 60 characters. Longer titles get truncated with an ellipsis, often cutting off the most important word.
Lead with the target keyword. Placing the primary keyword near the start gives it more weight and makes it visible to scanners on a busy SERP.
Match the search intent. If someone searches “how to build backlinks”, a title that begins “How to Build Backlinks” will outperform “A Complete Backlink Building Strategy”, even though they are nearly identical in meaning.
Include your brand where it adds value. For well-known brands, appending | Brand Name at the end can lift CTR. For lesser-known sites, spend that character budget on descriptive copy instead.
Write for humans first. Keyword-stuffed titles perform worse. One target keyword, naturally placed, is enough.
Put the brand name at the end of the title tag
If you include a brand name in a page title, it should come after the descriptive content. Words at the start of a title carry more ranking signal weight, and users scanning search results read the subject of the page first to judge relevance. Placing the brand name first buries the keyword and makes the result harder to evaluate at a glance. The standard format is: [Page topic or key phrase] | [Brand name].
Common title tag mistakes
| Mistake | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Duplicate titles across pages | Confuses crawlers and wastes the chance to target distinct queries |
Leaving the CMS default (Home | Site Name) | Provides no topical signal |
| Keyword stuffing | Penalised by algorithms; damages CTR |
| Titles over 60 characters | Truncated in SERPs, often mid-sentence |
| Missing title altogether | Google generates one, usually poorly |
When does Google rewrite your title tag?
Google rewrites title tags in around 76% of cases.1 Common triggers:
- Title doesn’t match the page content
- Title is too long or too short
- Title is identical to the H1
- Google detects a better title from the page’s heading structure or body copy
The best defence is writing a title that accurately and concisely describes what the page actually delivers.
Title tags vs. H1s
The title tag and the H1 don’t need to be identical, but they should be consistent. The title tag is the SERP-facing label; the H1 is the reader-facing headline. Minor variation is fine. Dramatically different content between the two is a signal worth investigating.
Page titles vs H1s
The phrase "page title" is genuinely ambiguous. SEOs typically mean the <title> element (the title tag or meta title); designers and content editors often mean the H1. When working across teams, drop "page title" and be explicit: say "title tag" or "meta title" for the <head> element, and "H1" or "heading" for the visible on-page text.
Site icons in search results
Google displays a site icon (commonly called a favicon) next to the URL and breadcrumb above each result title. Site icon and favicon refer to the same thing: the small branded image that helps users identify your result at a glance, which contributes to click-through rate on branded and repeat queries.
The icon is declared in the <head>:
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.svg" type="image/svg+xml">
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.png" sizes="32x32" type="image/png">Google’s requirements:2
- Minimum 8×8 pixels; 48×48 or larger recommended for clear display
- A stable URL that Googlebot can access without restriction
- Square dimensions; non-square images are cropped to a square
- Not content Google would classify as inappropriate
Google supports any valid favicon format. ICO, PNG, SVG, and WebP are the most common; SVG is the best option for scalability.
If the favicon is not appearing in Google search results:
- Confirm the image URL is not blocked by robots.txt
- Check the image is at least 48×48 pixels and square
- Verify the URL returns a 200 with no redirect issues
- Allow several days to weeks for Google to recrawl and update the display
Google controls whether the icon is displayed, but a correctly implemented favicon will appear in most cases.
Frequently asked questions
Does changing a title tag affect rankings?
Yes, and often quickly. Google tends to recrawl and update title-related signals within days of a change going live.
Should I include my brand name in every title tag?
Not necessarily. For high-authority sites it can help CTR. For newer sites, use the characters for additional descriptive copy instead.
Can a page rank without a title tag?
Technically yes, but Google will generate one, usually from the H1 or a string of text it deems relevant. It is rarely as effective as a deliberately written tag.