WebAIR

Does the webpage have a relevant and descriptive title element? (TXT07)

Why is this important?

It is important for a webpage to have a relevant and descriptive title. This doesn't just refer to the title that is displayed within the webpage. It also refers to the title that is declared in a <title> element, which is displayed at the top of the browser window. By making the title descriptive, it enables users to quickly identify the content of the webpage. It can also be used to convey the user's position in a sequence of webpages (e.g. "Step 3 of 5 - Billing Address"). A descriptive title is particularly important for screen readers users, as the title element is the very first thing that is read out by the screen reader when the webpage loads.

How to fix the problem

Make sure the title of each webpage identifies the subject of the current webpage and identifies the website to which the current page belongs. The title should be concise, and should make sense when read out of context.

Example

//A title that includes the name of the current page and the name of the website to which it belongs
<title>About the company | Smith Removals & Co.</title>

Further Information

  1. http://www.peachpit.com/guides/content.aspx?g=webdesign&seqNum=303