How to fix title length outside 30-60 characters
The title tag is the clickable headline in search results. Titles shorter than 30 characters waste space, while those longer than 60 characters are usually truncated, hiding important information.
What is wrong
Short titles (e.g., 'Home') fail to provide enough context for search engines to rank the page. Long titles get cut off with an ellipsis (...) in the SERPs, which can hide your brand name or call to action.
Why it matters
Optimised title tags are critical for Click-Through Rate (CTR). A well-sized title ensures your full message is visible, helping users understand relevance immediately. For AI-driven search, a concise, descriptive title provides a clear label for your content in knowledge fragments.
How to fix it
1. Expand short titles
Add primary keywords or your brand name to titles under 30 characters. Ensure the added text provides real value and describes the page content accurately.
2. Trim long titles
Move the most important keywords to the front of the title. Remove redundant phrases, unnecessary stop words, or excessive branding that pushes the character count over 60.
3. Test for visual width
Google actually measures width in pixels (approx 580px), not just characters. Use a SERP preview tool to ensure that wide letters like 'W' or 'M' aren't causing early truncation.
Platform notes
SEO plugins like Rank Math or Yoast SEO provide real-time progress bars to help you stay within the optimal character range while editing posts.
Common questions
- What happens if my title is too long?
- Google will likely truncate it or rewrite it entirely, which can lead to a lower click-through rate if the rewritten version is less compelling.
- Does title length affect ranking directly?
- Length itself isn't a direct ranking factor, but the keywords included (or cut off) and the resulting CTR definitely impact performance.