One of the most critical SEO factors (certainly in my opinion as a website optimisation consultant) is and always has been the title tag. This is where you set the theme for your page so that search engines understand what it is about, and when well crafted can elicit click throughs from the SERPs even if you are not number one.
For a long time, it was considered best practice to include your brand name in your title tags, as it could offer a number of benefits such as:
- Brand Recognition: Users could easily identify the brand behind the content, which was particularly important for well-known brands.
- Trust and Credibility: Familiarity with a brand often leads to higher trust, encouraging users to click on search results.
A lot of brands still do this.
And I would agree with the thought process, I did it myself on every site I optimised, for years.
But not any more.
As SEO practices have evolved, it’s now more beneficial to use that valuable title tag space for other more important keywords.
Title tags are typically truncated by Google after 50-60 characters, meaning every character counts. Here’s why you should reconsider including your brand name:
- Limited Space: Title tags have a limited character count. Including the brand name takes up valuable space that could be used for keywords and phrases that match user intent.
- Keyword Focus: Prioritize primary keywords and phrases that are more relevant to the user’s search query. This can improve your page’s visibility and relevance in search results.
- Engaging Titles: Crafting engaging and descriptive titles can significantly improve CTR. A compelling title that directly addresses the user’s query is more likely to attract clicks than a title that includes a brand name.
It should also be noted that Google will often re-write a title tag anyway, or remove the brand, if they feel they can improve your title tag for you.
But despite all that, the main reason why you don’t need to include your brand name in the title tag anymore is because you simply do not need to. Google’s SERP layout allows you to place this above the URL in your SERP snippet as follows:
This is a much tidier looking title that you can now utilise for a compelling title tag without having to worry about your brand taking up extra space.
The schema mark up to do this is also incredibly simple, using the website mark up as follows:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context" : "https://schema.org",
"@type" : "WebSite",
"name" : "Organic Digital",
"url" : "https://organicdigital.co/"
}
</script>Just add this to your home page and set the name to your brand, and in time you will see your SERPs taken to the next level.
If you need any help optimising your title tags, or have any questions on how best to do this, get in touch via the form below.
About The Author - Dave Ashworth
I would describe myself as an SEO Expert and a specialist in technical optimisation with a professional approach to making websites better for people and better for search engines.
When I'm not blogging, I deliver website optimisation consultancy and organic SEO solutions by addressing a website's technical issues and identifying opportunities for growth