How to Find and Fix Duplicate Title Tags to Improve SEO

Jan 22, 2025 10:59 PM - 2 weeks ago 22069

Duplicate title tags are instances erstwhile aggregate pages connected a website stock identical title tags successful their HTML caput sections, which tin lead to little hunt motor rankings and a mediocre personification experience.

Common causes of copy title tags include:

  • Duplicate pages targeting different countries aliases users
  • Content guidance strategy (CMS) platforms automatically generating default titles without customization
  • Parameter-based URLs (like those for search advertisement campaigns) creating copy versions of a page
  • Paginated contented that doesn’t mention page numbers successful each title
  • Category and tag pages that usage generic titles 

Are Duplicate Title Tags Bad for SEO?

Yes, successful astir cases, copy title tags are problematic. 

Here are respective reasons why:

  • Search engines struggle to find which page to rank for circumstantial keywords erstwhile aggregate pages stock the aforesaid title tag (called keyword cannibalization). This tin lead to little rankings for each affected pages.
  • Users who spot identical title tags successful hunt results mightiness not beryllium capable to show which page champion matches what they’re looking for. This disorder leads to little organic click-through rates and higher bounce rates for your website.
  • You miss opportunities to target different keywords and search intents. Each unsocial page deserves its ain optimized title tag designed to thief it rank for applicable queries.
  • Google whitethorn take to disregard aliases devalue pages pinch copy titles if they spot them arsenic low-quality. This tin consequence successful little aliases nary rankings for these pages.

You tin find copy title tags utilizing a fewer methods.

You tin crawl your tract pinch an SEO spider instrumentality for illustration Screaming Frog SEO Spider. Then, export the title tags to a spreadsheet and benignant them to spot duplicates. 

Duplicate title tags successful the SEO Spider Overview tab.

Image Source: Screaming Frog

To streamline the process of uncovering copy title tags, usage Site Audit (which automatically scans your tract for 140+ issues). 

Follow the prompts to tally an audit, caput to the “Issues” tab, and hunt “duplicate title tag.”

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Then, prime the number specified successful the “# issues pinch copy title tags” rumor to uncover the affected URLs. And you’ll spot a database of the URLs grouped by ones that stock the aforesaid title tag. 

Like this:

List of copy title tags includes the URLs wherever the duplicates occur.

Visit each of the affected pages and study their contented to spot really they differ.

You tin past log successful to your CMS aliases website level to make immoderate needed adjustments.

How to Fix Duplicate Title Tag Issues

Here are 4 proven methods to hole copy title tags, listed from simplest to astir technical:

Create Unique Title Tags

Create chopped titles for each page by:

  • Including the page’s superior keyword to show hunt engines and users what your contented is about
  • Adding immoderate unsocial identifiers (like merchandise names, categories, locations) that mightiness beryllium applicable
  • Using accordant patterns that still let for uniqueness
  • Keeping the title magnitude betwixt 50 and 60 characters
  • Making your title tag and H1 the aforesaid aliases similar 

Here’s an illustration shape for merchandise pages:

[Product Name] - [Category] | [Brand Name]

Product page title tag says "puffer jackets for women, Artizia US".

And here’s an illustration for blog posts:

[Post Title] - [Main Topic] | [Site Name]

Title tag for blog station says, "what is UX research? | IxDF."

Use Canonical Tags

When you request aggregate pages pinch akin contented (like printer-friendly versions aliases variants targeted to different assemblage segments), usage canonical tags to show hunt engines which type of a page you want them to index, rank, and show successful results. 

  1. Pick the main type of the page
  2. Add this statement to the HTML for some the copy pages and the main page:

<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/main-page" />

Use Hreflang Attributes

Add hreflang attributes for multilingual and/or multiregional sites pinch akin contented to thief hunt engines understand which versions are for which users.

An hreflang property is included successful your HTML <head> conception and tells hunt engines which page to show searchers based connected their connection (indicated by the first 2 letters pursuing hreflang=") and location (indicated by the 2nd 2 letters pursuing hreflang="). 

If this is your case, you should:

  1. Add hreflang attributes to specify which type is for each language/region
  2. Link each connection versions to each other

For example, a tract pinch the aforesaid page successful English and Spanish mightiness usage this introduction for some pages:

<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-us" href="https://example.com/page" />
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://example.com/es/page" />

Use Dynamic Title Tags

Using title tag templates pinch move variables that alteration based connected the page is adjuvant for ample sites pinch galore akin pages (like ecommerce aliases directory sites).

To do this:

  1. Create title tag templates successful your CMS aliases website level (this varies by platform)
  2. Insert move variables that propulsion unsocial data, specified as:

<title>{Product Name} - Buy Online | {Category} - {Your Brand}<title>

Variables mightiness include:

  • Product names
  • Categories
  • Prices
  • Locations
  • Model numbers

This attack scales good but requires observant template creation to guarantee each generated title remains unsocial and meaningful.

Depending connected your familiarity pinch your CMS aliases different website platform, you whitethorn want to activity pinch personification who has much method expertise. 

Finding and fixing copy title tags is simply a speedy and comparatively easy measurement to amended your SEO performance. 

Here’s really to get started:

  1. Sign up for a forever free Semrush account
  2. Configure Site Audit
  3. Run your first audit (you tin crawl up to 100 URLs pinch a free account)
  4. Head to the “Issues” tab to find immoderate copy title tags
Search for copy title tags successful Site Audit.

Want to spot early duplicates earlier they go an issue? 

Schedule regular audits (weekly aliases daily) during setup. You’ll get an email each clip an audit is complete. 

Site Audit Settings wizard allows you to prime the time of the week to tally your audit, aliases daily. Check the container to nonstop an email erstwhile the audits are complete.

Run your first audit now. 

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