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> Position Of Title Tag, does google read it?
excel30
post Jun 22 2004, 03:23 AM
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Hi,

If a site places page starts with :
<html><head> and then has the meta tags for keywords and then descriptions, and then after the above the TITLE TAG,,,,,

Will google not show the title tag in its listings? Should the title tag always be first before the keyword and description meta tags.


Google is showing the url name as the title for example www.yourdomain.com/whatever.html
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SmellieNellie
post Jun 22 2004, 03:29 AM
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Here I go - laying myself on the line again! But from my understanding the Title tag would still get read, but it would put you at a slight disadvantage to those sites whose Title tags appear where they 'should' appear which is underneath the doctype tag:

<doctype>
<html>
<head>
<title>
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anthonyparsons.c...
post Jun 22 2004, 07:05 AM
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It doesn't matter where it is....as long as it resides within the <head> section. It is read as the page <title> for what it is, not where it is...

It is more a neatness thing than anything that you will see it all nicely put in order

<title>
<description>
<keywords>
<robots>
<etc etc>
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SmellieNellie
post Jun 22 2004, 07:12 AM
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Excel - This is where opinion within SEO takes over and you really have to make up your own mind.

I personally believe you need to put the Title Tag as the first tag within the Head section for keyword phrase prominence as the sooner it is read the better.

You just have to try it and find out which you feel works best!
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OldWelshGuy
post Jun 22 2004, 07:33 AM
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Dublin Core examples suggest that the first tag should be the Title, so I would tend to go with them. Not sure if it does make any difference though?

OWG
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Nathan Malone
post Jun 22 2004, 08:00 AM
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Same with me. I am used to putting the title tag first but that's just a habit and I really doubt that the order helps the search engines at all because, after all, most visitors wouldn't be able to tell if the title is first or now.
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BrianR
post Jun 22 2004, 10:01 AM
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QUOTE(excel30 @ Jun 22 2004, 09:23 AM)
Google is showing the url name as the title for example www.yourdomain.com/whatever.html

excel30

Is this happening on one particular page - eg. home/index page - or is it happening on every page in the site?

If you've not been able to fix it yet, perhaps let us have the url.

BrianR
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The Great Gatzby
post Jun 22 2004, 11:39 AM
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Is there any viability to the fact that the closer you put the keywords to the top of your code the better you will do in the serps? If this is true than the title tag should be the first on for sure as it will contain the keywords you are targeting to get positioned for. No?

Gatzby
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Nathan Malone
post Jun 22 2004, 11:46 AM
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Well, no one but the search engine programmers know the answer for sure but we do know that the average user wouldn't be able to tell whether the title tag was the first thing or the last thing in the head of the page.
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SmellieNellie
post Jun 22 2004, 12:16 PM
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QUOTE
the average user wouldn't be able to tell whether the title tag was the first thing or the last thing in the head of the page.


Yes that is true, but it is nothing to do with the user, it is whether or not having your title tag as the first tag gives you an advantage in the eyes of the search engine.

My school of thought is that as the Title tag is the one that is displayed first by the search engines and it is the tag that tells the user whether or not it is for them - it is given more weight than the Description tag. In fact, not all search engines display the description tag at all. Therefore, if your title tag is further down, the bots will have read someone else's title tag before they read yours, and as this is where your keyword phrase is also likely to be, then you are at a disadvantage.

However, as no-one but the Search Engines know for sure, it is only a supposition.
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excel30
post Jun 22 2004, 02:44 PM
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Hi,

Thanks for replies

My business partner had added in the titles within last 2 days (he only just informed me), which is why the pages were showing up in google as no title cause they have not been recached since the change.

I would normally put title tag first, but he had put under the keyword and description which is what I thought maybe caused the title not to show in google, but seems not to have been the case.

From the above comments I get the feeling title tag best at top, but as long as in the <head> then its not worth me changing it.
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Jill
post Jun 22 2004, 10:08 PM
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Your Title does NOT have to be the first tag in the HEAD section, it can be anywhere. Makes no dif whatsoever.

And no, keywords don't need to be close to the top, they should be the focus and very essence of your entire page, which naturally means they will probably be near the top, in the middle and at the end.

(This is not the same as keywords thrown around anywhere and everywhere, but I know that many will never quite get that part!)

Jill
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SmellieNellie
post Jun 23 2004, 03:39 AM
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QUOTE
Your Title does NOT have to be the first tag in the HEAD section, it can be anywhere. Makes no dif whatsoever.


Now Jill - don't shout :halo: - but how do you know this for sure? Is it through testing that you have performed?

I am interested because the hardest thing when it comes from SEO is that you hear different things from different quarters so it is good to know exactly where the facts are coming from.
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anthonyparsons.c...
post Jun 23 2004, 03:49 AM
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I have done numerous tests with the title tag, and this has never been an issue. The info within the head section is for overall page use, nothing specific to any part of the page, and as such the engines don't place emphasis on where anything is, just that it exists. When you leave the head and move to the body, that is where things change.

Placement of the title tag means nothing. It is only asthetics that people put it first generally. The content inside that tag is the important part, not where the tag resides in that page section.
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raj_freind
post Jun 23 2004, 04:11 AM
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I dont want to be part of controversy is going over here with the <Title tag>/ <meta tag>

Any folks here know site name who not has <meta tag>/<title> but has in top 10 position in G. (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/naughty.gif)

I am agree with Jill It doesn't matter is that where you place your <title tag> but it always should be in <Head tag> (IMG:http://www.highrankings.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
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