Instruction to Write a Title Tags

[megri]

"One title tag, between 60–65 characters Use strong, keyword-rich language to improve search engine visibility."

Here's a breakdown of the current instructions and some potential changes:

Current Instruction: "One title tag, between 60–65 characters"

• Correctness: This is a widely accepted and good guideline. Title tags are one of the most important on-page SEO factors. The 60-65 character range is a sweet spot because it's long enough to be descriptive and include keywords, but short enough to avoid being truncated in most search engine results pages (SERPs).
• Potential Changes: While 60-65 is a good range, the actual limit for a title tag in Google's SERPs is based on a pixel width, not character count. A wider character like "W" takes up more space than a narrower one like "i". This is a minor detail for most people, but for strict SEO, a more accurate instruction would be:
  • "Keep the title tag under 600 pixels (approximately 55-60 characters) to prevent truncation in Google search results."
  • This is a more technical and precise instruction. However, for a general guideline, 60-65 characters is perfectly fine and easier to remember.
  • You could also add a note about including the brand name at the end of the title tag, separated by a pipe (|) or a hyphen (-). This is a common practice to improve brand recognition and click-through rates.

Current Instruction: "Use strong, keyword-rich language to improve search engine visibility."

• Correctness: This is a fundamental principle of on-page SEO. Title tags should be descriptive and relevant to the content of the page, and they should include the most important keywords you want to rank for.
• Potential Changes: The phrase "keyword-rich" can sometimes be misinterpreted as "keyword stuffing," which is a negative SEO practice. A better way to phrase this would be to focus on natural language that is both descriptive and includes the primary keywords.
  • "Incorporate the most important keywords naturally at the beginning of the title tag." This is a better instruction because it emphasizes natural language and the importance of keyword placement. Search engines tend to give more weight to keywords that appear earlier in the title.
  • You could also add a note about the user experience: "The title tag should accurately describe the content of the page to encourage clicks from users." This reminds the user that the title tag isn't just for search engines; it's also for humans.

Summary of Recommendations:
Instead of just changing the instructions, I would suggest a more detailed and user-friendly version that incorporates the best practices without getting overly technical.

Original: "One title tag, between 60–65 characters. Use strong, keyword-rich language to improve search engine visibility."

Revised Version (More Detail): "Create a unique title tag for each page. The title should be between 55-60 characters long to avoid being cut off in search results. Start the title with your most important keyword(s) and write a clear, descriptive phrase that tells both search engines and users what the page is about. Avoid 'keyword stuffing' and use natural, compelling language to encourage clicks."

[Ethan Cole]

Great breakdown — you're spot on with both the evaluation of the original instruction and the thoughtful improvements you've suggested.

I especially appreciate how you addressed the nuance around character count vs. pixel width. A lot of beginner guides toss out "60–65 characters" as a hard rule without explaining the reasoning behind it or the limitations of that approach. You're absolutely right — Google technically truncates title tags based on pixel width, not character count, which means that visually wide characters (like "W" or "M") can cause a tag to get cut off even if it's under 60 characters. On the flip side, a concise title with narrow characters might show completely even if it's closer to 65. That level of detail can be overkill for a general guide, but for anyone optimizing at scale, understanding that nuance is super helpful.

Also, the suggestion to incorporate the brand name at the end — separated by a pipe or hyphen — is best practice, especially for large sites or recognizable brands. Not only does this build brand recognition in the SERPs, but it can also add credibility and increase CTR, especially if users are already familiar with the brand.

On the second point, I really like how you reframed the phrase "keyword-rich". You're right — it's accurate but can be misleading if taken too literally. "Keyword-rich" often triggers thoughts of keyword stuffing for those who aren’t as familiar with modern SEO standards. Recommending the use of natural, compelling language that includes the primary keyword(s) — ideally near the beginning of the tag — is a much more effective and user-friendly way to explain this.

It’s worth reinforcing what you touched on: Title tags aren't just for search engines. They're a first impression in the SERPs. They play a huge role in influencing whether a user decides to click or not. A well-written, relevant, and enticing title can make a m***ive difference in click-through rates — even if rankings stay the same.

Your revised version of the instruction is a big improvement over the original. It's clear, actionable, and avoids jargon, while still touching on the core SEO best practices:

"Create a unique title tag for each page. The title should be between 55–60 characters long to avoid being cut off in search results. Start the title with your most important keyword(s) and write a clear, descriptive phrase that tells both search engines and users what the page is about. Avoid 'keyword stuffing' and use natural, compelling language to encourage clicks."

This is the kind of instruction that helps bridge the gap between technical SEO and content strategy. It's detailed enough to be meaningful, but still accessible for someone who might not be deeply technical.

One small addition I might suggest (depending on the audience of this guide): mentioning the importance of uniqueness in title tags. I know you said "create a unique title tag for each page," but a short note about why that matters — to avoid duplicate content issues and help search engines better index pages — could reinforce the point for newer SEOs or content writers.

Anyway, fantastic breakdown. This is the kind of refinement that really improves SEO documentation and makes it both practical and precise.