In SEO, there has always been one essential friend of search engines: the title tag. If this short line is essential for SEO, it also matters for internet users! Like the summary of an article, the meta title must be interesting, complete, and explicit. When you know the trending ideas in SEO, you know how important it is not to overlook these points. But what exactly are we talking about? How should it be written? Where should it be placed? Let’s dive into the murky world of SEO and dig into this key point!
What is it?
Definition of the “Title Tag”
It is an HTML tag (HyperText Markup Language, a descriptive computer language), which defines the title of a web page. Like the title of a book, it should make it possible to understand the topic covered and the angle or the information that can be found on the web page. It is often accompanied by a meta description, the equivalent of the back cover blurb. This short summary expands on the title, both to convince readers to read your page and to convince search engines to position you at the top of the SERP for this or that search query.
Where can you find the meta title?
This is generally what is displayed on the results page, although Google in particular can sometimes modify it by pulling content from your page. You can also see it in your tab. However, if you want to find it, whether on your site or another one, you can very easily see it in the page source code (right-click => Source code). Then locate <title> and </title> that surround your page title.
Title tag and other tags
On a web page, organization is crucial for SEO (and for the reader). For this to work, the meta title alone is not enough. It is necessary to add an H1 title, H2s, H3s, etc. But then what are the differences between these different terms?
|
Present on the page |
Number |
SEO importance |
|
|
Meta title |
X |
1 |
+++ |
|
H1 |
✔ |
1 |
+++ |
|
H2 |
✔ |
Several |
++ |
|
H3 |
✔ |
Several |
+ |
Here is a summary table of these concepts, to help you clearly understand how to organize your page!
Checklist for a successful title tag
Length of a title tag
In general, it is said that a good title is between 33 and 65 characters long. In reality, that is a good start, but it is not the whole picture. Indeed, it is constantly evolving: since 2018, we have gone from 55 to 67.5 visible characters. It also depends on several criteria:
- the search engine
- the device used
- the characters used
For example, on mobile, displayed titles can be longer. In addition, search engines rely on a number of pixels, for example 600 pixels on desktop.
To check the length of your title, you can use SERP simulators.
Wording
The keywords in your title have a superpower! This comes as no surprise: the keyword you want to rank for must be present in your title tag and in your Hn headings. You can use synonyms to support your query. You also need to phrase it in a way that attracts potential readers: complete guide, 10 tips, checklist, everything you need to know about. Be careful, though, not to disappoint your reader with a title that is too catchy without then giving them what they expect!
SEO and site title
We regularly see titles followed by a hyphen and the site name. This can be useful if your brand is very well known and it will be an extra reason for users to choose your link rather than another one. On the other hand, if that is not the case, it will not optimize your SEO.
User experience
Now that everything has been done so that you appear on the first page of search engines, people still need to click on your page. We know that positioning within the SERP is also critically important. However, you can influence these figures with a clear and compelling title and meta description. To do this, determine the intent behind your article and highlight it. For example, a seller of new shoes would have no interest in titling their page “Shoes: everything you need to know about the second-hand market” even if that search generates a lot of traffic!
Setting up a meta title
WordPress
WordPress is a CMS that accounts for 60.8% of the market. To best manage your tags and your SEO, there are compatible plugins, including Yoast!
You will have all the features you need to enter your title, your keyword, your meta description, and all the information needed for your SEO.
The 2 mistakes to avoid in SEO titles
Duplicate titles
You should never have two pages with the same title: this creates duplicate content, severely punished by Google! If you detect, using an SEO tool for example, pages that have the same title, make it more specific. Add the city name, the product color, etc.
Missing title tags
A page without a title is a problem. Either it has no value for your site and you need to de-index it, or you need to add a title to it!
You now have all the keys in hand to rank your page thanks to a title that performs! Obviously, as important as it is, this line alone will not allow an empty or poorly organized page to rank in the SERP. Writing and the different tags are also essential!
