Title tag optimization is crucial in increasing your visibility in Google’s search results. Although it’s essential, you shouldn’t stress over rigid character limits. Here’s why: title tags are a critical component of SEO and can very much impact your rankings. Optimizing them can lead to notable improvements in search engine performance.

There are various strategies for crafting effective title tags. Some SEO experts suggest sticking to a 55-60-character limit, while others argue that stretching to 70-character is acceptable. However, this guideline might not be as relevant as it once was.

A common concern is that if a title tag is too long, it may be truncated in search results or rewritten by Google, potentially reducing organic performance and click-through rates.

The Title Tag Update and Its Impact

In August 2021, Google rolled out an update that allowed it to display a different title in SERPs from the one specified in the HTML title tag. This change meant that Google could rewrite title tags in some instances, such as when they were:

• Too long
• Filled with keyword stuffing
• Repetitive or included generic “boilerplate” language (like “Home” for home pages)

Following the update, the SEO community reacted with concern, as many reported instances where Google’s rewrites were misleading or inaccurate. Discussions among SEO professionals highlighted examples of Google replacing the original title tags with other elements like H1 tags, image alt texts, image file names, or even random text not found in the page’s source code. A key takeaway from this update is that “Google prefers shorter titles in SERPs.”

The uncertainty caused some alarm in the SEO world, prompting many SEOs to focus on preventing title rewrites by ensuring their title tags were concise and within a specific character limit.

The Confusion

Google favors shorter titles in SERPs. However, the bigger question is whether Google uses these rewritten titles for ranking or only for display in search results. This uncertainty has led some SEOs to assume that longer titles might be truncated or rewritten and not considered for ranking. Conversely, they worry that Google may consider the new, rewritten titles for ranking purposes.

As a result, SEOs focus on creating shorter, more concise title tags to avoid unwanted rewrites and ensure their SEO efforts remain effective despite these changes.

What Does Google Say About Title Length?

In an episode of “Search Off the Record,” Google’s John Mueller discussed title tag length with Gary Illyes, asking whether there was any value in creating title tags that exceed the displayable space in search results. The conversation went as follows:

Mueller asked, “Is there a value in having title tags that are longer than the displayable space and its sections?” Illyes responded with a straightforward “Yes.”

Illyes further explained, “The title length—that’s an externally made-up metric… Technically, there’s a limit, like how long anything on the page can be, but it’s not a small number. It’s not 160 characters or whatever—100, 200, 20, or whatever.”

Illyes advised, “Try to keep it precise to the page, but I would not overthink how long it is and whether it’s long enough or too long. If it fills up your screen, then probably it’s too long, but if it’s just one sentence that fits on one or two lines, you’re not going to get a manual action for it.”

This response indicates that Google doesn’t impose strict limits on title tag length, suggesting that the focus should be on ensuring titles are relevant to the content and fit within a reasonable visual space. If we examine Google’s documentation on search results titles (also known as title links), there’s no specified character limit or recommended length for title tags. This underscores the idea that while title length is a consideration, it’s not the primary factor in Google’s evaluation of page content for search results.

Title Tag Length in 2024

There’s no need to restrict your title tags to a 55-60-character limit in 2024. Your titles should be as long as necessary to represent your content accurately and within reasonable bounds. The idea that shorter titles inherently offer SEO benefits is a misconception:

• Shorter titles can still be rewritten.
• Shorter titles can still be truncated in search results.
• Shorter titles can still have their brand names removed.

Shortening your title tags doesn’t provide a clear advantage. Instead, focus on crafting meaningful and relevant titles that best use the available space. Title tags are one of the few SEO elements we still have some control over, so let’s use them effectively.

Here’s my advice: Optimize your title tags to improve your search rankings, even if it means exceeding the 60-70 character range. From there, you can experiment to see how your titles appear in search results and adjust as needed.

Additionally, if you’re considering using a character limit, don’t count the brand name that might be added to the end of your title. Google may ignore it, so it’s better to focus on the content that matters.

Ultimately, if your pages need to be ranked, the length of your title tags doesn’t matter. Prioritize optimizing your titles to achieve higher rankings, then review how they appear in search results and adjust as needed to improve visibility and click-through rates.

If you still need more time to feel overwhelmed or need clarification, look at our monthly SEO packages and let our experts handle everything.