Page titles

10 tips for web writers

1. Identify the page content or purpose Ensure the title is sufficient to allow users to identify the content before seeing the page.
2. Be clear, not clever Cute or catchy titles don’t always work. If a user can’t understand what the page is about, they may never bother looking at it.
3. Use the right topic terms Try to use terms that people will recognise immediately, or would search with. Avoid jargon and abbreviations unless well known to your target audience.
4. Start with the most meaningful words Because titles are sometimes only partially displayed (in browser tabs, for instance), and users are often skim-reading them, make sure you start with the most meaningful words.
5. Add the site or organisation name Help users identify the source of the content by including the site name at the end of the title.
6. Be concise Limit titles to 60-70 characters. Titles get cut short in most contexts, including search results.
7. Ensure each title is unique No pages should share a title.
8. Clearly distinguish pages with similar or related content Add enough context to the title to allow users to choose the right page.
9. Know how your CMS generates titles Since content management systems usually generate the title, make sure you know how yours works and whether you can edit the title after it’s been generated.
10. Write titles for non-HTML documents Ensure all PDF and Word documents published online have a title that follows these tips.