Writing Better SEO Title Tags for E-commerce Websites
There are very few areas within SEO where we have almost complete control.
Algorithms change constantly, search behaviour shifts, competitors improve their websites, and Google continues reshaping the search results with AI overviews, paid ads, shopping feeds, videos and more.
Title tags are one of the few areas where we can still directly influence both how a page is understood and how it is presented within the search results. That is part of the reason I still think they matter so much, particularly for e-commerce websites.
They help search engines understand what a page is about and how it should be categorised, while also helping users quickly decide whether your result feels relevant enough to click.
Balancing title tags matters more now, search results are crowded with ads, AI, videos, and snippets. Users scan results quickly.
A strong title tag will not suddenly transform an e-commerce website overnight, but small improvements across category pages, subcategories and product pages can make a noticeable difference over time, particularly on larger e-commerce stores where search visibility is spread across hundreds or even thousands of pages.
The challenge is that many title tags either try to say too much or not enough at all.
Some become overloaded with keywords and modifiers. Others stay so generic that they fail to stand out against competing results.
Usually, the strongest title tags sit somewhere in the middle. Clear enough for search engines to understand immediately, but natural enough that somebody might actually want to click them.
Keep the Structure Clean
One of the biggest mistakes I still see is websites trying to force too much into the title tag.
There is still a lingering mindset within parts of the SEO industry that more keywords automatically means better optimisation. In practice, overloaded titles usually become harder to read and less appealing to click.
Men’s Running Trainers – Cheap Running Shoes – Trainers UK
compared to:
Men’s Running Trainers | Road, Trail & Gym Styles
The second version feels cleaner, more structured and easier to understand immediately.
Google is far better now at understanding related terms naturally. Repeating slight keyword variations over and over rarely adds much value anymore.
More importantly, users scan search results quickly. If a title feels cluttered or awkward, people tend to move on without much hesitation.
A good title tag should feel like something written for actual users rather than assembled entirely for search engines.
Why I Prefer Using the Vertical Bar Separator
One small thing that genuinely helps title tags feel cleaner is the separator itself.
Personally, I generally prefer using the vertical bar “|” rather than repeated dashes or commas.
White Bathroom Tiles | Gloss, Matt & Marble Effect
Realistically, it is not going to make a world of difference.
I just tend to prefer the cleaner visual separation that the vertical bar gives within the search results. A lot of larger ecommerce brands tend to use it as well, and, generally speaking, these companies are putting significant amounts of money into UX testing, search behaviour and presentation.
That does not automatically make it the “correct” option, but in most cases, I tend to think the bigger brands are usually following fairly sensible best practices when it comes to these smaller formatting decisions.
The vertical bar creates a slightly clearer visual break between the primary keyword and the supporting modifiers.
That becomes particularly useful on e-commerce websites where titles often need to reference materials, colours, finishes, sizing, styles and collections all within a limited amount of space.
Without some structure, titles can become difficult to scan very quickly, particularly on mobile devices where space is already limited.
Google does not directly favour the | separator over a dash. This is more about readability and presentation than rankings alone.
That said, presentation absolutely affects click-through rate.
Aim for Around 50 to 60 Characters, But Test What Works
For years, SEO tools trained people to chase green bars and perfect character counts as though going one character over the suggested limit would somehow destroy rankings overnight.
In reality, the title tag length is more flexible than that.
Google measures title width in pixels rather than strict character count, so there is no perfect number that guarantees a title will display fully every time. As a general recommendation, aiming for around 50 to 60 characters is still sensible for category and subcategory pages because it keeps titles clean across desktop and mobile search results.
But this should be treated as guidance rather than a hard rule.
A video from Edward Sturm discussing a case study from SEO Pub touched on how some SEOs are now testing significantly longer title tags rather than blindly following standard SEO plugin recommendations. I would not suggest suddenly making every e-commerce title tag excessively long, but it highlights an important point. SEO should be tested against real search behaviour.
A natural title that slightly exceeds 60 characters is often stronger than a shorter title that sounds awkward purely to satisfy an SEO tool.
Users are not judging your page based on whether Yoast gave you a green tick. They are judging whether your result looks relevant, clear and worth clicking.
Category Pages Should Stay Relatively Broad
Category pages are often some of the most commercially valuable pages on an e-commerce website.
These are usually targeting broader searches like:
- men’s running trainers
- oak dining tables
- white bathroom tiles
The goal here is normally to keep the title broad enough to capture wider intent while still adding useful context.
Oak Dining Tables | Round, Extendable & Large Styles
works better than:
Oak Dining Tables | Furniture Store UK
The first version gives users a better idea of what they will actually find on the page.
A common mistake is trying to target too many variations at once:
Oak Dining Tables | Oak Kitchen Tables | Dining Furniture UK
Titles like this usually weaken readability more than they improve rankings.
Subcategory Pages Need More Specificity
As you move deeper into the site structure, titles should generally become more specific.
- Extendable Oak Dining Tables
- Men’s Waterproof Trail Running Shoes
- Black Marble Effect Bathroom Tiles
This is where modifiers become more important because users are searching with clearer intent.
Subcategory titles should help somebody instantly understand:
What makes the page different, what feature or style does it focus on & whether it matches their search
- Extendable Oak Dining Tables | 4 to 8 Seater Options
- feels much more targeted than:
- Extendable Oak Tables | Furniture UK
Small adjustments like this help both users and search engines understand the page more clearly.
Product Pages Are Usually Better Kept Simple
Product pages are slightly different again.
In most cases, clarity matters more than creativity.
Users are often searching for:
- exact product names
- models
- colours
- sizes
- specifications
Nike Pegasus 41 Men’s Running Shoes | Black & White
works perfectly well because the search intent is already highly specific.
Trying to force extra keyword variations into product page titles usually creates clutter very quickly.
Years ago, SEO advice often encouraged people to squeeze every possible variation into titles. Thankfully,
Google is much better now at understanding context naturally.
Simple, readable product titles generally perform better long-term.
You Probably Don’t Need Your Brand Name Everywhere
This is one area where many e-commerce websites waste valuable space.
A lot of stores automatically append the company name to every title tag, regardless of the page type.
Sometimes that makes sense. Large brands with strong recognition benefit from familiarity and trust.
But for many growing e-commerce websites, there is often more value in using that space for commercially useful modifiers instead.
White Bathroom Tiles | Gloss, Matt & Porcelain Styles
is usually stronger than:
White Bathroom Tiles | Brand Name
particularly if the brand itself is not a major trust signal yet.
The homepage is different, of course, and some other pages benefit from branding too, such as your “contact” or “about us” pages.
This is not about removing brand names entirely. It is more about prioritising what information is most valuable within a limited space. You can always look to include the brand name in the meta descriptions.
Templates Are Useful, But Limited Templates Can Cause Problems
Templates themselves are not the issue.
Most large e-commerce websites need templated title structures because manually writing thousands of titles is rarely realistic.
The problem is usually overly repetitive or poorly structured templates.
Product Name | Category | Brand Name
might technically work, but across a large e-commerce website, it can quickly produce titles that all feel nearly identical.
A stronger template usually leaves room for:
- product type
- material
- style
- size
- finish
- key differentiators
The goal is not to make every title wildly unique. It is simply to give important pages enough individuality and context to stand on their own.
Watch Out for Filtered & Faceted Pages
One area where e-commerce websites still regularly run into problems is filtered and faceted navigation.
Pages generated through filters for colours, sizes, materials, price ranges and product attributes can quickly create near-identical title tags at scale.
- Black Trainers | Brand Name
- Men’s Black Trainers | Brand Name
- Men’s Black Running Trainers | Brand Name
Some of these pages may deserve to be indexed. Others may simply create duplication and cannibalisation.
This is where e-commerce SEO becomes less about blindly scaling pages and more about understanding whether each page targets genuinely different search intent.
Make sure a category/subcategory page is warranted, or whether it is diluting your website’s ability to rank.
Why Google Rewrites So Many Titles
Google rewrites title tags more often than many people realise.
Usually, this happens because:
- titles are too long
- Keyword stuffing feels excessive
- Headings do not align properly
- titles sound unnatural
- Templates create repetitive wording
This is another reason why readability matters so much.
If a title feels clean, focused and genuinely reflective of the page content, Google is usually less likely to replace it with something else.
Good Title Tags Usually Feel Natural
Good title tags are rarely about clever tricks or complicated formulas.
Most of the time, the strongest ones are simply:
- clear
- structured properly
- easy to scan
- commercially relevant
- aligned with search intent
A lot of e-commerce websites lose visibility and clicks because their titles either try too hard or say too little.
Usually, the best approach sits somewhere in the middle.
Google’s own guidance on creating effective title links in search results is also worth reading, particularly around how titles are interpreted and occasionally rewritten within search results.
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