The title tag is meant to be inside the <head> section of a page. If it’s not, you can remove the existing tag and add it again in the appropriate location.
Table of Contents
Why the Title Tag Needs to Be in the <head>
Title tags are only valid when found within the <head> section of a page. A title tag outside the <head> would be invalid as per W3.org standards, and the tag would be ignored by search engines.
How to Add Title Tags to the <head>
To solve this issue, the title tag that exists outside the <head> needs to be removed from the page.
You can identify if a title tag is in the wrong location by looking at your site’s code. Here is an example of a title tag outside the <head> …
<head> … </head>
<title>Example Title Outside the Head</title>
If you don’t have edit access to make adjustments to your site’s HTML, the dev team should be able to help.
Once that old tag has been removed, it’s time to add it again — this time in the appropriate location. The text value of the tag can stay the same, the only thing that needs to change is the placement of the tag itself.
<head>
<title>Example Title Within the Head</title>
</head>
How to Update Title Tags at Scale
Another approach to take is to leverage SEO execution platform ClarityAutomate. This way, you can implement the optimization in a matter of minutes without having to wait for the dev team.
How to Delete Existing Title Tags
The first step of the process involves deleting the <title> attribute that is outside the <head>.
1. Select what you'd like to optimize: Code
To begin, select “Code” in ClarityAutomate.
2. Choose how you'd like to optimize it: Delete
This fix calls for the deletion of an existing page element.
3. Location: Location of the <title> outside the head that needs to be removed
As a last step, specify the XPath/CSS location of the tag that needs to be deleted.
How to Add a Title Tag in the <head> Section
Now that the original title tag has been deleted, you can add it back in the correct location.
1. Select what you'd like to optimize: Title
This process starts off by selecting “Title” in ClarityAutomate.
2. Choose how you'd like to optimize it: Add New
The title tag is going to be re-added, this time in the appropriate location.
3. New Title: The text for the title you want added
Enter in the text value that will serve as the page title.
Summary
Search engines pick up on the title tag if it’s included within the <head> of a page.
A few clicks in ClarityAutomate is all it takes to remove incorrectly placed title tags and re-add them again.
