Title tag optimization means writing the HTML <title> element so it ranks well and gets clicks. Google weighs title tags heavily when deciding what a page is about, and the title shows up as the blue link in search results, so you're optimizing for both the algorithm and human eyes. Get it wrong and you either don't rank or nobody clicks. The mechanics are straightforward. Keep titles between 50-60 characters because Google truncates longer ones with an ellipsis, wasting prime real estate. Put your target keyword near the front—pages with keywords in the first half of the title tend to perform better than back-loaded titles. If you're targeting "Ottawa web design," lead with that instead of burying it after your brand name. Structure matters. For commercial pages, we typically use patterns like "Primary Keyword – Secondary Keyword | Brand" or "Primary Keyword in Location | Brand." For blog posts, make it specific and compelling: "7 Title Tag Mistakes That Tank CTR" beats "Title Tag Best Practices." Avoid keyword stuffing—"Ottawa SEO, SEO Ottawa, Ottawa SEO Services" looks spammy and Google may rewrite it anyway. Google rewrites about 60% of title tags now, pulling from H1s, page content, or anchor text when it thinks it can do better. You can't always stop this, but tightly aligned titles and H1s reduce rewrites. If your title is vague, too long, or stuffed with keywords, expect Google to intervene. Common mistakes we see: duplicate titles across pages, missing titles entirely, or generic titles like "Home" or "Services." Every page needs a unique, descriptive title. E-commerce sites with hundreds of product pages should use templates but inject unique product names and key attributes. At Ottawa SEO, we audit title tags first in every technical SEO engagement. Low-hanging fruit lives here—rewriting 20 underperforming titles often moves the needle faster than months of link building. Track CTR in Google Search Console after changes; a good title rewrite can double click-through in weeks.