Page Titles Explained
Find out what page titles are and how to optimise them. This key part of website optimisation cannot be overlooked.
What is a page title?
A Page Title appears in Google’s SERPs (Google’s Search Results Page). Each indexable URL has a Page Title. Often, the CMS automatically assigns Page Titles based on the page’s contents and brand name. However, optimising these page titles for target keyword(s) gives both search engines and users context to the page.
Are page titles a ranking factor?
Yes, page titles are a direct ranking factor, so shouldn’t be overlooked!
How do you optimise page titles?
The Page Title (or title tag) should start with page’s primary keyword. Use a keyword research tool (like SEMrush) to plan and determine what that primary keyword should be.
If there's no search volume in SEMrush, put yourself in the user's shoes and think about what they could potentially type in. Test these ideas by carrying out your own searches on Google and see if relevant articles come up. If so, look at the competitor’s metadata to see which keywords they're targeting.
A little trick I like to do is whacking in a competitor's URL to 'Domain Overview' on SEMrush. Now you’ve got access to all the keywords their page is ranking for!
Recommended title tag format:
<primary keyword> <USP or secondary keyword> | *brand name*
Maximum character count
The maximum character count for Page Titles is 60 characters. If you exceed this, the Title will become truncated, which can offer a bad user experience.
Top tip: Use Sistrix’s snippet generator to check your page title is meeting Google’s guidelines. Aim for the yellow or green zone. Avoid the danger zone - if it’s red, it’s too long!
Pipes or dashes?
The famous debate… Research has shown a tenuous link between dashes having a slightly better CTR. But pipes are thinner and use less pixels (giving you slightly more wiggle room). I’ve also seen many times where Google has re-written a Page Title to either include pipes when there aren’t any or replace them with dashes. Ultimately, it’s personal or company preference, so don’t worry about this too much.
How many keywords should be included?
Always try to target the primary keyword in the Page Title and secondary keywords if possible. It must read naturally. If it looks forced, users won’t click on it.
Homepages need the brand name if possible, but as a general rule of thumb, product/service pages are unlikely to need your brand’s name. You’ll likely get more value out of focusing on non-branded terms.