Title tags are one of the most important on-page SEO elements. They tell search engines and users what a page is about. However, many websites suffer from issues like duplicate, missing, or truncated title tags that can harm their search rankings and click-through rates (CTR). This guide will show you how to identify and fix these common title tag problems strategically.
What Are Title Tags?
Title tags are HTML elements that define the title of a webpage. They appear:
- As clickable headlines in search engine results (SERPs)
- At the top of browser windows or tabs
- When sharing links on social media (if not overridden by Open Graph data)
Why Optimizing Title Tags Matters
- Improves Rankings: Well-crafted title tags help search engines understand the page content.
- Boosts CTR: Compelling, keyword-rich titles attract more clicks.
- Reduces Bounce Rates: Clear titles lead to relevant user expectations.
1. Fix Duplicate Title Tags
Duplicate title tags occur when multiple pages on your website have the same or nearly identical title tags. This confuses search engines and can lead to keyword cannibalization.
Causes of Duplicate Titles
- Pagination without canonical tags
- Session IDs or tracking parameters creating URL variations
- Similar product pages or categories
- Tags and archive pages with overlapping content
How to Fix
- Use tools like Google Search Console or Screaming Frog SEO Spider to find duplicates.
- Edit the title tags to be unique for each page. Include:
- Target keyword(s)
- Contextual information (e.g., product name, location, category)
- Brand name (optional)
- For paginated content, use rel="next" and rel="prev" (or use proper canonicalization).
- Use canonical tags to consolidate duplicate URLs pointing to the same content.
2. Fix Missing Title Tags
A missing title tag means your page doesn’t have a <title> tag at all. This is a serious issue because:
- Search engines might auto-generate a title (usually not optimized)
- Your page may appear unprofessional in search results
- You lose control over your SEO and branding
How to Fix
- Run a site audit using Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to find missing titles.
- For each page, manually write a descriptive and keyword-rich title tag.
- If your site uses a CMS (e.g., WordPress), ensure templates include
<title> </title> inside the <head>.
- Use dynamic title generation when applicable (e.g., eCommerce sites with many products).
3. Fix Truncated Title Tags
Truncated titles occur when your title tag is too long and gets cut off in search results. This can reduce CTR and confuse users.
How Long Should Title Tags Be?
- Ideally between 50–60 characters
- Keep pixel width under 600px (Google truncates titles by pixel width, not character count)
How to Fix
- Check your titles in a SERP preview tool (e.g., Moz or Portent).
- Edit long titles to:
- Include only the most important keywords
- Remove filler or redundant words
- Use separators like pipes (|) or dashes (-) carefully
Best Practices for Writing Effective Title Tags
- Include your primary keyword close to the beginning
- Make it compelling and relevant to the content
- Use branding (e.g., "Buy Headphones | YourStore")
- Write naturally — avoid keyword stuffing
- Use different titles for different pages, even if they’re similar
Tools to Monitor and Optimize Title Tags
- Google Search Console: See performance, impressions, CTR, and possible issues.
- Screaming Frog: Crawl your site and export title tag data.
- Ahrefs/Semrush: Analyze your site's title tag performance compared to competitors.
- Yoast SEO / Rank Math: For WordPress sites, these plugins help create and preview titles.
Tip: Rewriting title tags alone won’t guarantee rankings, but it significantly improves user click-through and search presentation, which indirectly helps SEO.
Conclusion
Title tags are foundational to effective SEO. If they’re missing, duplicated, or poorly written, your pages will struggle to compete in SERPs. Regularly audit your site, fix issues strategically, and write title tags that are clear, keyword-optimized, and user-friendly. With ongoing maintenance, your search visibility and CTR will improve significantly.