The `<title>` tag is a fundamental HTML element that must be placed within the `<head>` section of a webpage. A page title outside the head is a critical validation error that will cause search engines to ignore your intended title. This can lead to unpredictable and poorly optimized titles in the search results, harming your click-through rate and overall SEO performance.

Think of the `<head>` section as the official filing cabinet for your webpage’s metadata. Important documents like the title must be placed here to be recognized. A title in the `<body>` is like leaving that document on the floor—it will be missed. For a broader look at title optimization, see our guide on page titles and metadata.

An illustration of a book with a call number on the wrong page, symbolizing the importance of fixing page titles outside the head.

Why the `<head>` Section is a Strict Requirement

As detailed in the Search Engine Land documentation, the `<title>` tag is a primary piece of information used to understand your page. Placing it correctly is non-negotiable.

  • It Will Be Ignored: A title tag in the `<body>` is invalid HTML and will not be processed by search engines.
  • Loss of Control: If your title is ignored, Google will generate one for you, often from your H1 tag or other content on the page. This means you lose control over your messaging in the SERPs.
  • Symptom of a Deeper Issue: This error often indicates a more serious problem, such as a broken `<head>` section, which can prevent other important tags (like canonicals or meta descriptions) from being processed.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Misplaced Titles

The goal is to ensure that every page has a single, unique `<title>` tag correctly placed within the `<head>`. For more on this, check out this guide to title tags from Moz.

Code Example: The Fix

<!-- Before: Title tag in the body -->
<head>
</head>
<body>
 <title>My Misplaced Title</title>
</body>
<!-- After: Title tag in the head -->
<head>
 <title>My Correctly Placed Title</title>
</head>
<body>
</body>
  1. Crawl Your Site: Use an SEO audit tool like Creeper to identify any pages with a `<title>` tag outside the `<head>`.
  2. Inspect the Source Code: Examine the HTML of an affected page to find the cause. Look for unclosed tags or other errors that might be breaking the `<head>` section.
  3. Correct Your Templates: The fix is almost always in your website’s theme or templates. Move the `<title>` tag to its correct position within the `<head>` section.
  4. Validate the Fix: Recrawl the pages to confirm that the title is now correctly placed and that the error has been resolved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why must the title tag be in the <head> section?

The `<head>` section of an HTML document is designed for metadata that is processed by machines, like search engine crawlers and browsers. Placing the `<title>` tag in the `<body>` is a violation of the HTML standard. As a result, search engines will ignore it, and your intended title will not be used.

How does a title tag end up outside the <head>?

This is almost always a technical error. It can be caused by a broken or unclosed tag in the `<head>` section, which causes it to terminate prematurely. It can also be caused by a misconfigured plugin or theme that incorrectly injects the title tag into the `<body>`.

How can I find pages with this error?

The most effective way is to use a website crawler like Creeper. It will analyze the HTML of every page and flag any instance where a `<title>` tag is found outside of the `<head>` section, allowing you to quickly identify and fix the problem.

Ready to fix your out-of-place pages? Start your Creeper audit today and see how you can improve your website’s page titles.