Title Tags - Probably the single most important on-page ranking factor there is.

Remember that the title tag is the "headline" that people will see in the search results. It's also one of the primary factors for the search engines in determining your ranking for a given search phrase, although that's declining in importance.

The Big SEO likes to follow a few simple rules when writing title tags:

1. Bear in mind that about 65 characters or so will display in Google search results, so we suggest keeping your page titles shorter than that if possible. This makes for a nice short and concise headline for the SERPS, and prevents the title from being cut off in the middle of a sentence.
  
2. Write your page titles in good plain English, use proper grammar, make it easy to read, and don't just stuff it full of keywords.  Remember your page title is the headline for your search listing. As a headline, it should capture the readers attention and encourage them to click on your website link. What do you think is more effective to draw in a customer..."Hargreaves Estate Agents - Joe Blow" or "New Dwellings Estate Agency - Secrets to Saving Money"?
  
3. A common theme at the moment seems to be Capitalizing Important Words. The Big SEO quite like this and it makes your listing stand out from the crowd, but technically, will not help (or hurt) your rankings. However, standing out from the crowd is very important.  We don't recommend using all capital letters though because like emails written in all capitals, it's considered inappropriate.
  
4. The Big SEO still uses primary keyphrases (unique for each page) in the title tag when possible, and we also prefer it at the front.  A well designed content rich website that is properly "themed" can still rank well without having the keyword in the title, the odds are still in your favor if you do use the primary phrase in your title tag.
  
5. Your company or business name should be last (if it's even used at all) unless you're a well known brand. We know it's a nice boost to your ego to see your name in the bolded search results, but nobody is likely searching for you by name. Remember, people search for what they need and not who supplies it.  By using your company name in the title tag, you're probably wasting space that could otherwise be used for another persuasive key word or phrase. The thing is what do you want? New customers or bragging rights?