The Impact of Page Title Length on Search Engine Rankings

The impact of page title length on search engine rankings is nuanced and somewhat debated among SEO experts. While traditional SEO advice recommends keeping title tags between 50 to 60 characters to avoid truncation in search results, recent insights suggest that longer title tags can actually improve rankings by including more relevant keywords and phrases that Google still reads, even if not fully displayed to users.

Key points to consider:

• Google reads the entire title tag, regardless of whether it is truncated in the search results. This means longer titles can help match more search queries and improve visibility.

• The visible part of the title (usually about 50-60 characters or up to 600 pixels wide) is what users see in search results. Ensuring this part is compelling is important for click-through rates.

• Studies show that medium-length titles (around 55-60 characters) tend to correlate with higher traffic, but very long titles (over 200 characters) have also been observed to boost rankings in some cases, especially when they include relevant local or niche keywords.

• The traditional character limit advice is partly based on display constraints rather than Google's ranking algorithm itself. Google has indicated that the length limit is arbitrary and primarily about what is shown to users, not what is indexed or ranked.

• Pixel width matters because different characters take up different amounts of space. Titles that fit within about 600 pixels on desktop are less likely to be truncated.

In summary, while keeping title tags concise (50-60 characters) helps ensure full visibility in search results, longer titles can enhance rankings by including more relevant keywords that Google indexes but may not display fully. The best approach balances a compelling visible title with strategic keyword inclusion beyond the visible limit to maximize search visibility and traffic.