What it looks like
The title tag is one line in the head of a page, the part visitors do not see:
<title>How to Repot a Houseplant in Five Steps | Greenleaf</title>
The text inside the title element shows up in the browser tab, in bookmarks and, most of the time, as the clickable headline of your result. It is not the same as the big headline on the page itself. That one is the H1 heading. The two can be similar, but they are set in different places.
Why it matters
- It is the first thing a searcher reads. On a SERP, the title is the largest part of your result.
- It helps search engines understand the page. A title that names the topic clearly, with the main keyword near the start, leaves little room for doubt.
- Long titles get cut. Google usually shows roughly 50 to 60 characters. The rest is replaced by three dots.
- Google may rewrite it. If a title is vague, stuffed with repeated words or does not fit the page, Google can show a different one.
COMMON MISTAKEGiving every page the same title, or leaving one as "Home". Each page needs its own title that says what is on that page.
How to check yours
- Hover over the browser tab to read the full title of the page. Most site builders show it in a field called "SEO title" or "page title".
- Paste it into the title length checker to see whether it fits.
- Check that the main topic is in the first half and that no other page on your site uses the same title.
- Search for the page in Google and compare. If Google shows a different title, yours may be too long or too vague.
The title works together with the meta description, the short text under it. For the writing itself, read how to write title tags that get clicked.