Page title

What we check

We read the page title of the home page, that is the text in the <title> element in the head of the page. We check:

• whether there is a title at all,
• whether it is between 15 and 65 characters long (30–60 characters is ideal),
• whether the location appears, if the audit knows one.

If the title is missing altogether, we count this as a serious defect. If it is too short or too long, there is a note with a suggestion.

Why it matters

The page title is the blue, clickable heading in the Google search result. It is often the first thing searchers see of the website, and it helps decide whether they click this result or another one. It also appears in the browser tab, in bookmarks and when sharing on social media.

For Google the title is also one of the strongest signals for what the page is about. If it only says "Home" or "Welcome", the search engine does not know what to show the page for. If it says "Hiking boots and outdoor clothing – Muster Sport", the case is clear.

Google cuts off titles that are too long after about 60 characters. Nobody sees what comes after that.

How to fix it

A good title for the home page follows this pattern:

Topic of the page – website name, e.g. "Hiking boots and outdoor clothing – Muster Sport".

• Name the topic the way people search for it: "dentist", not "dental medicine competence centre".
• If the offer is tied to a place, such as a practice or a restaurant, name the town or region.
• Stay between 30 and 60 characters.
• Do not list search terms. This looks untrustworthy and Google rewrites such titles.

WordPress

With an SEO plugin such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math you enter the title in the page editor in the field "SEO title". Without a plugin WordPress uses the page name and the site title from "Settings › General".

Wix, Jimdo, Squarespace

Open the settings of the home page and look for the "SEO" section. There is a field for the title that appears in search engines. In Wix it is called "SEO Basics".

Website built by an agency

Ask the agency in charge to adjust the title of the home page following the pattern above. It is a matter of minutes.

How to check it yourself

Search Google for site:example.ch. The blue headings of the results are the page titles, as Google shows them. In the browser you can also see the title when you move the mouse over the tab.

Frequently asked questions

Why does Google show a different title from the one I entered?

Google rewrites titles when they are too long, consist of the company name only or do not match the search query. A clear title of 30–60 characters that names the topic of the page is usually adopted unchanged.

Should the company name come first or last?

Usually last, unless the name is a search term in itself, as with a well-known brand. People who do not know the website yet search for the topic, not for the name.

Does every subpage need its own title?

Yes. Every page should have its own title that names its topic, e.g. "Compare mortgages – Muster Bank". Identical titles on many pages make it harder for Google to tell them apart.