If you ever read an article on on-page SEO, you will find out that the title plays an important role. Several SEO blogs and gurus also recommend an approximately 50 to 70 characters title length for better results. But you will be surprised to know that title length has no effect on your SEO. No, I am not saying this based on any of my observations. Google actually has no recommendation on title length.
Basically, the title length recommendation you find out on different SEO blogs and tools is based on how titles of web pages are shown in search results. If title tags are longer than 65-70 characters, some of part of it will be cut off. That means, not the full title will be shown in SERPs. But there is not a piece of single evidence where Google ever said that title should be in 40 to 70 character limits. Title tag length has no value in Google’s ranking algorithms.
Read: Dwell Time: Does this really matter for SEO?
Google’s Webmaster Trends Analyst Gary Illyes shared some facts about title tags during a Google Off the Record podcast. He confirmed that the title tao length recommendation is “an externally made-up metrics”. He said, “Try to keep it precise to the page, but I would not think too much about how long it is and whether it’s long enough or way too long.“
So someone from Google actually confirmed that there is no limit for title tag length. We also know that Google now rewrites title tags based on query intent. So many times it shows a different title of the web page from what you had mentioned in the title tag.
Now when you know that there is no specific title length recommendation from Google, you are free to use a creative title without caring much about the length. But I will still recommend going with the title having a length of fewer than 70 characters. The reason remains the same. It will be clearly visible in the SERPs. If users can read it properly, there are high chances they would click. It means better SERP CTR. But don’t ruin creativity just to adjust the title within the 60-70 character limit.
Similarly, people have a misconception about word count. Use the link added below to understand if Word Count is important.
Also read: Word Count – Is that important?
People who follow me know that I am into full-time blogging for 10 years now. I have seen several ups and down in these many years. From the existence of Page rank, we have come to MOZ’s domain authority. Google also made several changes to its indexing algorithms and ranking algorithms. I have learned SEO from my experience. So, I can tell you everything in a relative manner. You can also learn from my experiences. If you are interested in learning SEO, keep reading my blog. You can also follow me on different social media platforms.
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