Glossary · Search and local visibility
Title tag
The HTML document title browsers and search systems use to label a page in tabs, bookmarks, and often search results.
Also called: HTML title, page title tag
Definition
The title element belongs in the HTML document head and should describe the page's specific purpose. Search systems may use it as one input when generating a visible title link and may choose different text when other signals are more useful.
Why it matters
Clear, distinct titles help people distinguish pages and help search systems interpret page purpose.
Common misunderstanding
A title tag is not a guaranteed search-result headline and adding keywords mechanically does not guarantee ranking.
Related terms
Related system family: Measurement & Search Signals
Sources
- Influencing title links in search results (opens in a new tab) · Google Search Central
- HTML: HyperText Markup Language (opens in a new tab) · MDN Web Docs
Last reviewed July 16, 2026