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Page Title

Definition

What is ‘page title’?

Also known as the <title> tag in HTML, the page title, as the name suggests, is the title of a webpage that appears at the top portion of your browser and as the title of search results in search engine results pages (SERPs).

If you want a more in-depth understanding of this topic, check out the FAQ section below:

Question #1: How can I write an effective page title?

 You need to follow four simple guidelines:

  1. Include the main keyword you are trying to rank for. Doing so would help you not only quickly establish what your page or content is all about, but also clearly establish its relevance to the user.
  2. Keep it under 70 characters. Going longer puts your page title at risk of getting cut off and not making sense. If you really must go over 70 characters, make sure the part of your page title that is visible makes sense.
  3. Make it as clear as possible. Let the user (and search engines) know exactly what the page or content is about.
  4. Make it compelling. If you can, give the user a clear reason to click when your link shows up in search. Keep in mind that you are competing with about 10 other websites. You need to make sure you are able to stand out.

Question #2: What is the difference between the page title and meta title?

The biggest difference between the two is that where the former is primarily written for the user, the meta title is written more for search engines.

This is exactly why you need to make sure your page titles are 100% human-readable, clear, concise, and, when possible, compelling.

Your meta title, on the other hand, just needs to give web crawlers a clear idea of what your page or content is about so search engines know exactly who to show it to. It does not necessarily have to sound natural.

Question #3: Will writing a good page title help me rank?

Writing a good page title will not directly—and not by itself—help you rank. The only thing it can do is help drive more traffic to your website, making you look more of an authority in your niche in the eyes of search engines, which, in turn, can help increase your odds of ranking high in search.

But if you really want to do well in search, you also need to take a look at:

  1. The quality and relevance of your content – Even if you can get people to check out your website using catchy page titles, if your content is terrible, there is just no way you will be able to get them to stay, much less come back, so it will not help you sustainably grow your traffic.
  2. The keywords you use – You need to figure out what keywords your target audience uses to find you and use them in your content.
  3. The frequency with which you use your target keywords in your content – Gone are the days when you could just stuff your content with the keywords you are trying to rank for. Now, you need to use them just enough to establish relevance. Otherwise, you might get penalised.
  4. The number of backlinks you have – The more you have, the more authority you have in the eyes of search engines and the higher you rank in search.

For more best practices, here is a good website to visit.

Question #4: What are the benefits of a good page title?

The biggest benefits of a good page title are as follows:

  1. Improved visibility – As we have seen earlier, a clear, compelling page title can help you stand out in search.
  2. Increased traffic – When you stand out in search, you get more clicks.
  3. Improved user experience – A good page title helps users know exactly where they are on your website at all times, making the whole experience more pleasing and ultimately increasing your odds of getting more repeat visits.