Title Tag Mistakes

Title tags are essential for on-page SEO. They act as clickable headlines on search engine results pages (SERPs) and are key to attracting users to your website. Even small errors in your title tags can hurt your search engine rankings and click-through rates.

This guide aims to highlight common title tag mistakes and offer helpful tips on how to improve them. By steering clear of these issues, you can make your title tags more effective for both search engines and users, ultimately enhancing your website’s performance.

1. Title Tag is Too Long:

• The Problem: As we mentioned in our Title Tag Length Best Practices article, if your title tag exceeds the recommended length (usually 50-60 characters or around 600 pixels), it may get cut off in the SERPs. This could hide important keywords or your brand name, making your listing less informative and appealing.
• How to Fix It:
  • Keep your title tags brief and clear.
  • Place your most important keywords at the start.
  • Use a SERP simulator tool to see how your title tag will look in search results.(Image: Example of a truncated title tag in the SERPs)

2. The Title Tag is Too Short:

• The Problem: Although not as harmful as overly long titles, very short title tags can be an issue. They might not provide enough context for users or contain sufficient relevant keywords for search engines to grasp your page’s topic.
• How to Fix It:
  • Make sure your title tag describes the content of your page well.
  • Include relevant keywords without overstuffing.
  • Aim for a length within the 50-60 character range.

3. Keyword Stuffing:

• The Problem: Keyword stuffing means cramming keywords into your title tag to manipulate search engine rankings. This approach can appear spammy to users and harm your SEO efforts.
• How to Fix It:
  • Write natural, readable title tags that reflect your page’s content accurately.
  • Include your main keyword and one or two related keywords if they fit naturally.
  • Focus on user experience rather than trying to trick search engines.(Image: Example of a keyword-stuffed title tag)

4. Duplicate Title Tags:

• The Problem: Using the same title tag on several pages can confuse search engines and weaken your ranking potential. Each page needs a unique title tag that clearly describes its content.
• How to Fix It:
  • Conduct a site audit to find pages with duplicate title tags.
  • Rewrite the title tags for each page, ensuring they are unique and relevant.

5. Missing or Empty Title Tags:

• The Problem: Every page should have a title tag. Missing or empty title tags mean lost opportunities to boost your SEO and provide context to users.
• How to Fix It:
  • Use a website crawler or SEO audit tool to find pages that lack title tags.
  • Add unique and descriptive title tags to all pages.

6. Not Including the Target Keyword:

• The Problem: Your title tag should always feature your primary target keyword. Omitting it makes it harder for search engines to see how relevant your page is to specific search queries.
• How to Fix It:
  • Conduct thorough keyword research to find the most relevant keywords for each page.
  • Naturally incorporate your primary keyword into your title tag, ideally towards the start.

7. Not Writing for Humans:

• The Problem: While SEO is necessary, remember that your title tags should be written for people. They should be clear, concise, and enticing to encourage clicks.
• How to Fix It:
  • Read your title tags out loud to ensure they sound natural.
  • Accurately describe your page’s content and highlight its value.
  • Consider adding a call to action if suitable.

8. Not Optimising for Click-Through Rate (CTR):

• The Problem: Your title tag makes the first impression in the SERPs. If it’s not appealing, users may skip your result, even if you rank well.
• How to Fix It:
  • Write engaging and benefit-driven title tags.
  • Use power words or numbers to grab attention.
  • Test different variations of your title tags to find the best performers.

Tools to Help Identify Title Tag Issues:

• Google Search Console: Displays which pages have missing title tags and other structural issues.
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider: A website crawler that can find duplicate, missing, and excessively long or short title tags.
• SEMrush: Offers a complete Site Audit tool that flags various title tag issues.
• Ahrefs: Similar to SEMrush, Ahrefs provides tools for analysing and optimising your title tags.

Conclusion:

By avoiding these common title tag mistakes, you can greatly improve your website’s SEO performance. Well-optimised title tags can boost your visibility in the SERPs. They will attract more organic traffic to your site and help you reach your online goals. The tags must be friendly to both search engines and users.