Title Tags
The title tag is the single strongest on-page ranking signal Google reads. It appears in search results as the clickable blue headline, in the browser tab, and in social shares — and it tells Google exactly what your page is about before it reads a single word of content.
Get a Free SEO AuditHow Google Uses Title Tags
Google reads your title tag before it reads anything else on the page. It appears in the <head> of your HTML — above all body content — and functions as the single strongest on-page indicator of your page's topic. Every page on your site should have a unique title tag built around the primary keyword for that page. Duplicate title tags split ranking signals and force Google to guess which page to rank for a given query — it usually guesses wrong.
Title tags should be 50–60 characters. Shorter loses click potential in the SERP. Longer gets truncated — and the keyword that falls off the end carries less weight. Put your primary keyword toward the front of the title, where it influences rankings most and where searchers see it first. This is one of the core elements we audit in every on-page SEO review.
Google rewrites roughly 60% of title tags it encounters — usually when the tag doesn't accurately represent the page content or doesn't match the search query well. The best defense is writing a title that precisely reflects what the page covers and leads with the primary keyword naturally. Google rarely rewrites a well-written title tag.
The Formula That Works
There's no single required format, but one structure works consistently across page types:
Service Pages
Service + City | Brand Name
e.g. Kansas City SEO Services | Griffin Mott Consulting
Informational Pages
Primary Keyword — Supporting Context | Brand
e.g. How to Write Title Tags — SEO Guide | GMC
Location Pages
Service + City + State | Brand
e.g. SEO Consultant Overland Park KS | GMC
Homepage
Brand Name | Primary Service + City
e.g. Griffin Mott Consulting | Kansas City SEO Agency
Title Tag Checklist
- Every page has a unique title tag
- Primary keyword in the first half of the title
- 50–60 characters total length
- No keyword stuffing — one primary keyword
- Brand name at the end, separated by | or —
- Local pages include city and/or state
- Title matches the page's search intent
- No duplicate title tags across the site
- Validated with a SERP preview tool
Before & After: Title Tag Examples
The difference between a weak title tag and a strong one is usually small in character count but significant in ranking impact. These are real patterns from small business sites we've audited.
| Page Type | ❌ Weak Title Tag | ✅ Optimized Title Tag | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Service Page | Welcome | Home | Kansas City SEO Services | Griffin Mott Consulting | Leads with the keyword and city. Brand at the end. 51 characters. |
| Blog Post | Griffin Mott Consulting Blog Post #4 | How to Write Title Tags That Rank — SEO Guide | GMC | Keyword-forward, descriptive, includes value proposition. |
| Service Sub-Page | On-Page SEO Services SEO Optimization On-Page | Griffin Mott Consulting SEO Agency | On-Page SEO Optimization | Griffin Mott Consulting | No keyword stuffing. Clean, under 60 characters, brand at end. |
| Location Page | Overland Park | SEO Consultant Overland Park KS | Griffin Mott Consulting | Service + city + state in title. Targets the local search query directly. |
Get a Complete Title Tag Audit
A free SEO audit evaluates every title tag on your site and delivers a prioritized list of what to fix first — including duplicates, missing tags, and keyword gaps.
Request Your Free AuditMore On-Page SEO Topics
Title tags work alongside meta descriptions and header tags as the core SERP and content hierarchy signals. See all on-page SEO topics below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an example of a title tag?
A well-written title tag for a local SEO page might read: 'Kansas City SEO Services | Griffin Mott Consulting'. It leads with the target keyword, includes the city for local relevance, and closes with the brand name — all within 60 characters. A poorly written version of the same page might read: 'Welcome to Our Website | Home' — no keyword, no location, no value.
What is a good title tag?
A good title tag leads with the primary keyword, stays under 60 characters, accurately describes the page content, and includes the brand name at the end. For local businesses, it should also include the city. A good title tag matches the search intent of the query it targets — informational pages read differently than service pages.
How do I create a title tag?
In most CMS platforms like WordPress or Webflow, the title tag field is in the SEO settings for each page. In Next.js or custom-coded sites, it's set in the metadata export or the <title> element in the page head. Write the keyword first, add supporting context, close with your brand name, and keep the total under 60 characters. Use a SERP preview tool to check how it displays before publishing.
How do I find my title tags?
The fastest audit method is Screaming Frog — it crawls your site and exports every title tag, its character count, and flags duplicates or missing tags. Google Search Console shows how Google is reading your pages. You can also view any page's title tag by right-clicking in your browser, selecting 'View Page Source', and searching for the <title> element.
What happens if I don't have a title tag?
If a page has no title tag, Google generates one automatically — usually pulling text from your H1, navigation links, or body content. Google-generated titles are almost always worse than a properly written one. They often use generic text like your business name or a nav label, which provides no keyword signal and performs poorly in search results.
What should a title tag contain?
A title tag should contain: the primary keyword (placed toward the front), supporting context that clarifies the page's value or location, and your brand name at the end. For service pages: Service + City | Brand. For informational pages: Primary Keyword — Supporting Context | Brand. Every page needs a unique title tag — no duplicates.
What are common title tag mistakes?
The most common mistakes are: duplicate title tags across multiple pages, titles that are too long and get truncated, keyword stuffing, leading with the brand name instead of the keyword, and writing titles that don't match the actual page content. Missing title tags — leaving Google to auto-generate one — are also extremely common on small business websites.
Ready to Optimize Your Title Tags?
Griffin Mott Consulting audits and fixes title tags for small businesses across Kansas City. Start with a free SEO audit.