How long should a title tag be?

Aim for roughly 50 to 60 characters so it survives without truncation on desktop. Google measures pixel width, not characters, so wide capitals shorten the usable space. Put the important words first, since a truncated tail matters less than a weak opening.

Why does Google rewrite my title tags?

Google rewrites titles when it judges yours a poor match for the query, over-stuffed with keywords, or too generic. The fix is to write a title that genuinely describes the page for its main query instead of cramming in variations.

On-Page SEO

Title Tag

A title tag is the clickable headline of a page shown in search results, best kept around 50 to 60 characters or roughly 600 pixels so it displays in full.

It is one of the stronger on-page ranking signals and the single biggest driver of whether someone clicks, so lead with the primary keyword and keep it readable. Note this is measured in characters, not words: a 50-word title would be far too long. Every important page should have a unique, descriptive title.

Rewrite rates are worth monitoring, because Google replaces titles on a meaningful share of results and does it silently. Search Console does not report it, so the only way to see it is to check the live result for your priority queries. When a title is being rewritten consistently, the page is usually describing itself differently from how searchers ask for it. Boilerplate is a common cause: a brand suffix on every page eats characters that could carry meaning, and on long titles it is the first thing truncated anyway. Keep it on the homepage and drop it where the page needs the space.

Example

Two titles for the same audit page. "Home | Best SEO Company Thailand | Cheap SEO Services Bangkok" is 68 characters of keyword variants, truncated in results and rewritten by Google. "SEO Audit Bangkok: 47-Point Technical Review" is 44 characters, survives intact, and tells the searcher exactly what they get. The second lifts clicks at the identical position.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a title tag be?: Aim for roughly 50 to 60 characters so it survives without truncation on desktop. Google measures pixel width, not characters, so wide capitals shorten the usable space. Put the important words first, since a truncated tail matters less than a weak opening.
Why does Google rewrite my title tags?: Google rewrites titles when it judges yours a poor match for the query, over-stuffed with keywords, or too generic. The fix is to write a title that genuinely describes the page for its main query instead of cramming in variations.

Related terms

Meta Description Header Tags SERP

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