The meta title, also called the title tag, is defined in the <head> section of an HTML page using <title>Your Page Title</title>. It appears in three key places: the browser tab, search engine results pages (SERPs) as the blue clickable headline, and when sharing links on social media.
Optimal Title Tag Guidelines
- Length — 50–60 characters. Google typically displays the first 50–60 characters (≈600px width).
- Primary keyword — Place the target keyword near the beginning.
- Brand — Include your brand name, typically at the end:
Keyword — Brand Name. - Unique — Every page should have a distinct title.
- Compelling — Write for humans first; a good title improves click-through rate.
Example
<title>What is an SSL Certificate? — WebsiteGuide</title>Title Tag vs H1
The title tag is what search engines and browsers display. The H1 is the visible on-page heading. They should be similar but can differ slightly in length or wording.