Tips for Making Title Tags Friendly to Search Engines

In case you didn't know, a title tag is an HTML element that displays the title of any web page on a search engine result page (SERP). The title tag's main purpose is to accurately describe what kind of content to expect from the web page. It is basically the blue headline which serves as a link to the website, with the URL listed underneath. For example, Google would show only the first 50 to 60 characters in a title tag though there is no reported limit.

Although your site may rank high in the SERPs, you should still double-check to see if your title tag is noticeable enough to convince someone to click on your link. People often have multiple browser tabs open so they would prefer to recognize what your page is about just by reading a few keywords in the title tag. When you share web pages, this tag will appear on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Try not to repeat keywords as that would result in a penalty by the SERPS.

The question is, "How do you write a legible title tag?". The general rule on tag formatting is to have the Brand Name after the Page Topic. Prioritize your keywords to let people find what they're looking for in the first place. Your brand name won't matter as much when they already know what to expect. Many people prefer to line up their tag starting with the service or topic, and then adding the brand name.

As for the length, most people left it at around 65 characters. Of course, title tags can be 70 to 80 characters long depending on if people view your site on desktop or tablet. The most important keywords are always used first. The non-keyword phrases are tacked on at the end. The title format can be summarized as Topic/Keywords - Brand. Just remember to avoid titles in ALL CAPS and get straight to the point, because long titles are automatically abbreviated by Google to end in ellipses.