The HTML title element names a document in browser tabs and guides title links in search, though Google may use other page or link text for a result.
Title tag refers to the <title> element in a page head and its relationship to the visible page title.
Meaning and boundaries
Google explains that title links are generated automatically from several sources, including the title element, headings, prominent page text and links. The title element is therefore a strong preference, not a command.
Give every indexable page a concise, distinct title that accurately names its content. Align it with the visible primary heading and language, then render-test it after templates, pagination or locale rules change.
How to inspect it
Check the delivered head, rendered page heading, duplicate-title reports, canonical URL and actual search appearance over time. Record changes with date and scope because reprocessing is not immediate.
For title tags, export or crawl a representative URL set and compare the delivered <title>, visible H1, canonical URL and template variables. Test a category, product, article, paginated page and error page separately: they often fail for different reasons. Titles should be distinct and descriptive, but a fixed character limit is less useful than checking whether the main meaning appears before truncation on the target device.
Limits, verification and common mistakes
Do not optimize for an arbitrary character count. Device width and query context vary; clarity, distinctiveness and truthful scope are more durable checks than a fixed limit.
After publishing a change, inspect the actual document head and wait for recrawling before judging the displayed title link. If Google shows a different title, compare the title element with headings, prominent text, links and language consistency. The useful action is to correct a mismatch or boilerplate source, not to repeatedly rewrite one phrase without evidence.