# Title tag A title tag is the HTML element that names a page, shown as the blue link in Google. On a small site, it decides many clicks. Here is how to set it, read it, and avoid rewrites. Updated 2026-09-13 · Source: https://porteur.ai/glossary/title-tag ## What it is and why it matters The title tag is the element in the <head> of an HTML page. Browsers use it for the tab label. Google often uses it as the title link in results. On a small site, the title sets first impressions and drives click through. It also tells Google what the page is about, so it affects which queries you reach. Every indexable page needs one unique, specific title. Do not leave the default from your CMS. Do not use your brand alone across the site. ## What Google shows and rewrites Google can change your title. It may use the H1, anchor text from links, or other on page text when your title is missing, duplicated, vague, or stuffed. It can also vary by query. Aim for a title that matches the page and the search intent. If your H1 says “Invoice template for freelancers” but your title says “Home”, expect a rewrite. Align them without copying verbatim every time. > Rule: write a clear, specific title that reflects the main content. Avoid keyword lists, boilerplate, and misleading claims. ## How long and what to include Keep titles to about 60 characters so they are less likely to be cut. Google measures in pixels and may still shorten or rewrite long or weak titles. - Put the primary topic first: the query or problem the page solves. - Add a qualifier: audience, use case, or format, if space remains. - Optionally add your brand at the end, separated by a vertical bar or a colon. - Use plain words. Avoid clickbait, dates that will age, and emoji. Examples that work for a product site: - / pricing: “Pricing and plans | YourProduct” - / guides/getting-started: “Getting started guide: set up in 10 minutes | Docs” - / features/calendar: “Calendar app for contractors | YourProduct” - A post: “How to import CSV data to invoices | Guide” A weak title: “Home | YourProduct YourProduct YourProduct”. A fixed title: “Time tracking for agencies | YourProduct”. ## How to check, measure, and fix 1. **See what Google shows** Search your brand and key queries. Compare the title link to your <title>. Note any truncation or rewrites. 2. **Audit your tags** Open a page, view source, and find <title>. Crawl your site with your favourite crawler to export titles and find blanks or duplicates. 3. **Find pages that need work** In Search Console, open Performance. Filter by Page. Sort by impressions, then find low CTR pages. These are your priority for clearer titles. 4. **Rewrite and ship** Change the title in your CMS template or page settings. Keep about 60 characters, lead with the topic, add brand last if space. 5. **Recheck in search** After indexing, search again. Check if Google now uses your title and if clicks improve over the next 28 days. ## Traps to avoid - Stuffing keywords or city lists. This invites rewrites and can hurt trust. - Using the same brand first format on every page. You bury the topic. - Letting CMS templates overwrite page specific titles. Test a sample of pages. - Mismatch between H1 and title. Keep them aligned but not clones. - Paginated and filter pages. Avoid near duplicate titles like “Shoes | Page 2”. - Copying titles from rivals. Your site, use case, and language are different. ## Questions ### What is a title tag? It is the <title> element in the HTML head. Browsers use it for the tab label. Search engines often use it as the clickable title link in results. ### Can you give me an example of a title tag? Yes. For a pricing page: <title>Pricing and plans | YourProduct. Place it once per page in the head. Keep it unique across your site. ### How long should my title tag be? Aim for about 60 characters. Google measures in pixels and can still shorten or rewrite, so write a concise first clause that stands on its own. ### What is the difference between a heading tag and a title tag? The title tag sits in the head and names the page for browsers and search. Headings like H1 and H2 are in the body and structure the content. Google may use the H1 when it rewrites weak titles. ### Why did Google change my title? Titles get changed when they are missing, duplicated, vague, or stuffed, or when another on page text matches the query better. Improve clarity and alignment with the page and the query, and the original is more likely to show. ### Should I include my brand in the title? Often, yes, at the end, if space allows. On the home page, the brand can lead. On other pages, lead with the topic, then add “| Brand” at the end. ## Read next - [Title tag length: what fits, what Google rewrites, and how to write one](https://porteur.ai/guides/title-tag-length): About 60 characters is a safe line. Learn pixels versus characters, why Google rewrites titles, and how to write titles that earn clicks. - [Meta description length, with examples that earn the click](https://porteur.ai/guides/meta-description-length): Keep meta descriptions around 155 characters on desktop and shorter on phones. Here is how to write snippets that earn clicks, with clear examples. - [The Search Console performance report, column by column](https://porteur.ai/guides/search-console-performance-report): Every column in the Google Search Console performance report explained with the traps that trip small sites, and how to act on each. - [Search intent: what the results page tells you to build](https://porteur.ai/guides/search-intent): Learn the four intents, read intent from the results page, and fix pages that will never rank by changing their kind, not just the words. - [On-page SEO checklist: the twelve things on the page](https://porteur.ai/guides/on-page-seo-checklist): The twelve page elements that move clicks and rankings, with examples you can copy to your own product pages today. - [Meta description](https://porteur.ai/glossary/meta-description): What a meta description is, how long to make it, why Google rewrites it, how to check yours, and what to write anyway for higher CTR. - [SEO title](https://porteur.ai/glossary/seo-title): What an SEO title is, how it differs from the H1, how many characters fit, how to write one that wins clicks, and what plugins measure. Get a quick read on your titles: run the free check from your URL and see how your pages appear for your searches and rivals in about thirty seconds, with three findings. Free check: https://porteur.ai/