Title tags: the 60-character decision that determines your ranking
Why most title tags are either too long, too short, or targeting the wrong thing
“Your title tag is the single highest-ROI SEO element on your page. It's also the most commonly botched.”
Title tags are the most impactful on-page SEO element you can control. They appear in three places: browser tabs, search results, and social shares. Get them wrong and you're leaving traffic on the table on every page of your site.
The rules: - Target one primary keyword per page - Put the keyword as close to the front as possible - Keep the total length under 60 characters (Google truncates beyond that) - Include your brand name at the end, separated by a pipe or dash - Never duplicate title tags across pages
Template: Primary Keyword — Supporting Context | Brand Name
Example: "SEO Audit Tool — Free, Instant Results | RankyPulse"
The rewrite problem: Google rewrites title tags it considers "keyword-stuffed", too long, or mismatched to the page's actual content. If you see Google showing different titles than yours in search results, it means your title tag isn't matching search intent well enough. The fix: make sure your title tag matches exactly what the page delivers.
Common mistakes: 1. Homepage title = company name only ("Acme Inc") — no keyword, no context 2. Duplicate titles across all blog posts 3. Titles over 70 characters that get cut off mid-word 4. Keyword stuffing ("Best SEO Tool Free SEO Audit Free Website SEO Check")
Audit every page's title tag. It's a 2-minute fix per page with measurable results.