What Is a Title Tag?
A title tag (or <title> tag) is an HTML element that provides a webpage title that can show up in places like:
- Search engine results pages (SERPs): As the SEO title—the clickable headline in a search result
- Link previews: As the text that appears when users share a link via social media or messaging apps
- Browser tabs: As the text at the top of the browser tab
- AI responses: As the preview title AI systems include when linking to their sources—as this image shows
The title tag sits inside the <head> section of your page’s HTML and looks like this:
<head>
<title>Your Page Title Here</title>
</head>
Why Are Title Tags Important?
Title tags are important because they influence whether users discover and visit your pages.
Title tags provide AI systems and search engines context about your page to help these systems assess your page’s relevance to the user’s query. And whether to show the page for that query.
Let’s say a user Googles “how do auroras form.” The search engine detects that the user wants to know about the process that leads to auroras—also known as the Northern and Southern Lights—appearing in the sky.
So, Google’s AI Overview is more likely to cite pages with title tags that indicate the page covers the process behind auroras.
And Google may also rank pages with clearly relevant title tags higher in its organic listings.
When users see these titles, they get a preview of the page’s content. And that helps them decide whether to click.
A clear, benefit-driven title can lead to users clicking to visit the page. In contrast, a poorly optimized title can make the content look less trustworthy. Causing users to scroll past it without clicking.
How Long Should Title Tags Be?
Title tags should be 550 pixels or fewer, typically 50–60 characters, even though AI systems and search engines don’t enforce a maximum length.
The reason to keep title tags brief is because search systems may truncate or rewrite titles that are too long. Just like how these titles appear cut off in ChatGPT and on the Google SERP:
Truncated titles may not convey your intended message or encourage clicks. Which could hurt your performance.
AI systems and search engines may truncate search result titles differently depending on factors like:
- Whether the user is using a desktop or a mobile device
- The width of the user’s browser window on their device
When writing titles, shorten them by:
- Capitalizing letters only when needed, as uppercase letters take up more space. Formatting titles in all caps can also make them harder to read.
- Include your brand name only if needed
- Use symbols like “&” instead of “and” to save space
- Choose narrower separators like colons (:) or pipes (|) instead of hyphens (-) and em dashes (—)
Then, use Semrush’s free Google SERP simulator tool to see how your title is likely to appear on desktop and mobile. And catch truncation issues before they hurt your click-through rate (CTR).
5 Steps for Writing Good SEO Titles
Here’s how to write title tags for SEO and AI search, based on what we discovered from rewriting the title tags for 40 underperforming Semrush blog posts:
1. Reference the Titles of Highly-Visible Pages
Reference the titles of pages highly visible in AI system responses and search results for inspiration, then structure your title tags similarly.
Let’s say your page targets the keyword “best feedback management tools.” When you run this search in AI systems and search engines, you notice these systems tend to surface pages with titles containing the current year:
You could then include the year in your page’s title to match what seems to be working for competitors.
But avoid making your title tag too similar to competitors’ titles. Focus on writing unique and engaging titles that capture users’ interests, describe your content, and encourage clicks.
2. Include Your Primary Keyword Once
Include your primary keyword in your title to tell AI systems, search engines, and readers what your content is about.
For example, if your primary keyword is “on page SEO,” including that exact keyword in your title makes the page’s purpose immediately clear to users, AI systems, and search engines.
But stick to one target keyword in the SEO title tag. Avoid keyword stuffing, or cramming multiple similar keywords into a title, like what this page has done:
Keyword stuffing may cause AI systems and search engines like Google to view your page as spammy. And then disregard it or show it lower in search results.
You can cover other relevant terms in your title tag. Just do it naturally. Like this page, which targets the “men’s casual shoes” keyword:
3. Match Your Title Tag to Search Intent
Match your title tag to search intent to increase the likelihood of getting more clicks.
Search intent is the user’s main goal when searching for a keyword, and can include finding information, visiting a specific page, comparing products, or making a purchase.
Let’s say you have a page that targets “what is link building.” In this case, “What Is Link Building + Complete 15-Step Strategy for 2026” is a bad page title that tries to do too much and goes beyond the straightforward definition users are looking for.
A more useful title for a page targeting “what is link building” would be “What Is Link Building? A Clear Definition + Examples.” This title focuses solely on defining link building, which matches what the user wants to know.
Use these steps to keep your title tag focused on search intent:
- Check the current top-ranking and AI-cited pages for your target keyword
- Analyze the type of content the top pages provide (definitions, tutorials, lists, etc.)
- Write your title tag to match that same core intent
- Remove from your title tag any angles that don’t address the main query
4. Make Your Titles Concise
Make your titles concise but descriptive, so that they accurately convey what your pages are about to users, AI systems, and search engines.
By writing concise, descriptive titles, you help users decide whether your pages meet their needs. And you help AI systems and search engines cite and rank your pages for relevant queries.
For example, if you’re titling a blog post about fitness tips for beginners:
- “The 10 Most Amazing Fitness Tips for Beginners Who Want to Exercise at Home” is too long
- “Fitness Tips for Beginners: Easy Workouts & Nutrition Advice” is shorter, while still providing AI systems and search engines with context about the post
5. Make Your Title Tag and H1 Title Similar
Make your title tag and H1 title similar (if not the same) to avoid confusing AI systems, search engines, and readers about your page’s topic.
The H1 title is the text marked up by an H1 tag to indicate the page’s main title. Like this:
If a searcher or AI system user lands on a page with a drastically different H1 title from the title they clicked, they might get confused. Which isn’t the best user experience.
Title Tag Examples & Templates
Use these proven title tag templates to write effective titles faster.
Each template follows search intent patterns for its page type. Copy the structure and customize it with your specific keywords and brand.
|
Page Type |
Title Template |
Why It Works |
|
“What Is/Are” Article |
“What Is [Keyword]? [Benefit or Outcome] (+ [Year])” |
Clarifies the topic and benefit immediately; year signals freshness |
|
How-To Guide |
How to [Task]: [Number] Steps (+ [Qualifier]) |
Matches informational intent; number sets expectations for depth |
|
Product Page |
[Product Name] – [Key Benefit] | [Brand] |
Leads with product name for brand searches; benefit drives clicks |
|
Category Page |
[Product Category] | [Brand] |
Indicates the page’s product category concisely |
|
Local Business |
[Service] in [City] – [Unique Value Proposition] | [Brand] |
Geo-targeting for local SEO; unique value differentiates from competitors |
|
Listicle |
[Number] [Topic] That [Outcome or Benefit] |
Number grabs attention; outcome drives click motivation; But if the number is high, consider using a different title format, e.g., “The Complete [Topic] Checklist,” to avoid intimidating users |
|
Comparison Post |
[Option A] vs. [Option B]: Which [Criteria]? ([Year]) |
“Vs.” matches comparison intent; question engages curiosity |
|
Landing Page |
[Main Benefit] – [Secondary Benefit] | [Brand] |
Benefit-first for conversion focus; brand builds trust |
|
About Page |
About [Brand] – [One-Sentence Mission or Value] |
Simple and direct; explains brand purpose concisely |
|
Tool/Calculator |
Free [Tool Type] – [Main Use Case] | [Brand] |
“Free” lowers barrier; use case clarifies who the tool is for |
How to Update Title Tags in Popular Content Management Systems
Updating a page’s title tag takes just a few clicks in most content management system (CMS) tools, and the exact steps depend on your platform.
Here’s how to update title tags in three common setups.
1. WordPress
You can update your title tags in WordPress using a plugin like Yoast SEO.
- Open the page or post you want to edit in the WordPress editor
- Scroll down to the “Yoast SEO” settings below your content
- Find the “SEO title” field, and enter your new title
- Preview how the title will appear on SERPs using the snippet preview above the “SEO title” field
- Click “Update” or “Publish” to save your changes
2. Shopify
Shopify includes a built-in page title field for every page, product, and collection.
- Log in to your Shopify admin
- Navigate to the product or page you’d like to update
- Scroll down to the “Search engine listing” section
- Update the “Page title” field with your new title
- Click “Save“
3. Static HTML
If you’re working with a static HTML site, you’ll edit title tags directly in your site’s HTML files.
Open your page’s HTML file in a text editor and locate the title tag in the page’s <head> section.
Replace the existing text within the tag with your new title, and save the file. Upload the updated file to your web server to make the change live.
How to Measure SEO Title Performance
Here’s how to measure SEO title performance to learn whether your optimization efforts are driving more clicks:
Track Traffic from AI Systems
Track AI referral traffic from ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI systems to gauge your titles’ effectiveness in enticing users to visit your pages after they see the titles in AI citations.
One tool for tracking AI referral traffic is Google Analytics 4 (GA4), where you can set up a filter to display only traffic from AI systems. Here’s how:
- Open GA4 and go to “Reports” > “Acquisition” > “Traffic acquisition” in the left sidebar
- Click “Add filter +” above the graph and set the “Dimension” field as “Session source / medium,” the “Match Type” field as “matches regex,” and the “Value” field as “.*(chatgpt\.com|openai\.com|perplexity\.ai|claude\.ai|gemini\.google\.com|bard\.google\.com|you\.com|search\.brave\.com|copilot\.microsoft\.com).*” Then click “Apply”
Once you’ve set up this filter, click “Session primary channel group (Default Channel Group)” at the top of the table, and change it to “Session source / medium” to view the AI systems sending your site traffic.
Then, click “+” next to “Session source / medium,” select “Page / screen,” and click “Landing page + query string” to view the pages these AI systems have sent traffic to.
Track CTR with Google Search Console
Track your pages’ CTRs from Google’s organic search listings, AI Overviews, and AI Mode with Google Search Console (GSC) before and after changing your title tags.
Here’s how to check your titles’ CTRs in GSC:
- Open GSC and select your property
- Click “Search results” under “Performance” in the left sidebar
- Click “+ Add filter” above the graph and select “Page” to filter by specific URLs
- Enter the URL slug of a page with a title tag you’ve updated. For example, if your page’s full URL is “www.example.com/article,” enter “article.” Then, click “Apply.”
- Click the date range’s “More” setting to set up a custom date range that spans at least two to three weeks after your title tag change to give Google time to re-crawl your pages and adjust rankings. Click “Apply” after that.
Here’s what to look for when trying to determine if changing your title tags made a difference:
- CTR lift: Did your CTR increase after the title change? Even a small improvement compounds over time.
- Position vs. CTR correlation: Check if your average ranking position stayed stable. If your CTR increased without position changes, the new title is more compelling. If your CTR dropped while your position improved, your title may not match user intent despite ranking higher.
- Changes in impressions: A spike in impressions can mean Google now shows your page for more queries. This can happen when your new title includes additional relevant keywords. More impressions with steady CTR can lead to more total clicks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions about title tags/SEO titles:
Should My SEO Title and H1 Title Match?
Yes, your SEO title and H1 title should match or be similar to avoid confusing users.
When your SEO title and H1 title differ significantly, users may think they landed on the wrong page after clicking your search result. They may then bounce, or leave your page without interacting with your site further.
What Happens if I Don’t Add a Title Tag?
If you don’t add a title tag, search systems will generate a title to display automatically, often using your H1 title, page content, or anchor text from links pointing to your page.
Auto-generated titles may not accurately represent your page or encourage clicks.
Can I Use the Same Title Tag on Multiple Pages?
You shouldn’t use the same title tag on multiple pages—each page should have a unique title to avoid confusing search systems and users.
Find and Fix Title Tag Issues on Your Site
Find and fix issues with your site’s title tags with Semrush’s Site Audit tool, which identifies these title tag problems:
- Missing title tags: Identifies pages that don’t have title tags
- Duplicate title tags: When two or more pages have the same title
- Too-long or too-short titles within title tags: Pages whose title tags contain titles that exceed or fall short of the ideal length
To use Site Audit, follow the configuration steps, then go to the “Issues” tab. Search for “title tag” to see if your site has title tag-related errors.
Click “Why and how to fix it” next to each issue to get instructions on resolving it.
Site Audit can detect over 140 technical issues in all. Try it on your site at no cost:
