SEO Glossary: Title Tag

What is a title tag?

The Title Tag is implemented directly in the HTML code and should be present on every main page and subpage. If it is set and entered, it will appear in the tab of the Internet browser, among other things. But search engines also prefer it when a page has a title tag. This is because it is used to give it prominence in the search engine results (SERPs) display.

Both users and search engines are interested in the content of the title tag. This is because both find out what the respective URL is about. This makes it all the more important for SEOs to make the title as meaningful as possible. The keyword for which the respective page is to be optimized also appears best in the title tag.

 

 

What is the importance of the title tag for SEO?

Why is the title tag actually so important for the search engine optimization (SEO)?

Fact is: It is one of the most important ranking factors to signal to search engines like Google what the page is about. For this reason, SEOs and webmasters should diligently equip all pages with titles in order to gain plus points with Google and Co.

But users are also happy to find out what the title is about. Because if the title is interesting, the click-through rate (also known as CLICK-THROUGH RATE is increased. If Google recognizes a high CTR, the content appears to be interesting. The ranking can increase.

 

How does Google display the title tag?

When a user sends a search query, he directly receives a search result list (SERP).

A glance at the first search result reveals that the URL of the page is listed first, with the title of the page appearing below it (in blue on Google). Directly below the title is a precise description of the page's content, also known as the meta description known as the meta description.

Google is guided by the title and description and thereby assigns, among other things, the topic relevance of the respective page. But here again the already mentioned click-through rate comes into play. If the title tag and description are interesting, more interested parties click on them.

 

What happens to pages without a title tag?

If no title tag is assigned to a website, Google acts independently. The search engine creates its own title, which often has little to do with the actual content and appears truncated. At the same time, the missing title tag has a negative effect on the ranking.

But users also pay little attention to search results with missing or automatically generated title tags. Accordingly, they click on the result less often, which results in a poor click-through rate.

 

What does a good title tag look like?

 

Below are some more tips on what a good Title Tag looks like:

 

The Title Tag...

• ...explains what the respective page is about
• ...for which target group the site is suitable
• ...which domain name and/or which trademark is involved here

 

Also, the use of the relevant keyword for the page must not be missing. Because this counts as a ranking signal for search engines to determine the appropriate topic and to be able to rank the page correctly.

It is also important to know that the keyword to be optimized should be at the beginning of the title. This can positively influence the ranking.