Definition
A title tag is the HTML element naming a page, which search engines often use as the clickable headline in results and browsers show in the tab.
Title tag explained
The title tag sits in the head of a page's HTML. It is one of the clearest signals of what a page is about, and it is often the first thing a searcher reads about your business. Google may rewrite titles it considers unhelpful, for example when they are stuffed with keywords, too long, or don't match the page.
Good title tags tend to:
- Describe the page accurately and specifically, with the main topic near the start.
- Be unique across the site, so pages don't look like duplicates.
- Stay short enough to avoid being cut off; around 50 to 60 characters is a common working limit.
- Include the brand name once, usually at the end, if at all.
- Give a reason to click: a benefit, a year, or what makes the page different.
Because titles affect click-through rate as well as relevance, testing better titles on pages that already rank is one of the quickest ways to gain traffic without new rankings.
Example
Your service page's title is “Home | Services | Brand Name”. Rewriting it to “Commercial Kitchen Cleaning in Leeds: Same-Week Service” describes the page, matches what people search and gives them a reason to click.
Why it matters
The title is your headline in search results. A clearer, more compelling title can win more clicks from the same position.
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Related terms
- Meta descriptionA meta description is an HTML summary of a page that search engines may show under the title in results, influencing clicks rather than rankings.
- CTR (Click-Through Rate)CTR (click-through rate) is the share of people who click a result or ad after seeing it: clicks divided by impressions.
- On-page SEOOn-page SEO is optimizing a page's content and HTML, such as titles, headings, copy, images and internal links, so it ranks for the right searches.
- SERP (Search Engine Results Page)A SERP (search engine results page) is the page shown after a search, combining organic results, ads and features such as AI Overviews and maps.