Share of top-5 title tags containing 2026, by vertical (top and bottom 6)
| Vertical | Top-5 title tags | % with 2026 (title tag) | Top-20 displayed titles | % with 2026 (displayed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software | 1,249 | 17.7% | 6,122 | 13.2% |
| Home | 953 | 9.9% | 6,040 | 6.6% |
| Finance | 965 | 6.7% | 6,182 | 9.3% |
| Insurance | 965 | 6.6% | 6,213 | 11.3% |
| Apparel | 942 | 6.3% | 5,927 | 5.3% |
| Travel | 941 | 6.2% | 5,894 | 7.1% |
| Jewelry | 1,140 | 1.8% | 5,870 | 2.4% |
| Dental and medical | 1,072 | 1.8% | 6,257 | 4.5% |
| Recipes | 864 | 0.7% | 5,737 | 1.5% |
| SaaS comparisons | 1,195 | 0.6% | 6,168 | 0.4% |
| Health | 1,177 | 0.1% | 6,138 | 0.4% |
| All 30 verticals | 29,396 | 4.1% | 177,259 | 4.8% |
Source: PageSpeed Matters, Oct 2026. Title tags cover the top 5 results; displayed titles cover the full top 20.
Summary
Adding the current year to a title tag is a familiar trick: "Best running shoes 2026" signals that the page is fresh. We wanted to know how many of the pages that rank at the top actually do it.
Very few. Only 4.1% of 29,396 top-5 ranking title tags include 2026, and 4.8% of 177,259 titles Google displays in the top 20 do. The year is common on a narrow set of searches, mostly "best" lists and software, and rare elsewhere.
What we measured
We looked at Google's US top 20 for 10,019 keywords across 30 verticals in October 2026. For the top 5 results on each keyword we read the page's real title tag, giving 29,396 title tags. Separately, we checked the 177,259 titles Google displayed across the full top 20.
A title counts when it contains 2026. The "best" search figures cover 2,017 top-5 title tags, and the "vs" figures cover 1,190 SaaS comparison title tags.
One limit matters: we measured in October. The share of titles carrying the current year shifts as pages are updated through the year, so treat these figures as an October snapshot and do not project them to other months.
Few top results put the year in the title
Only 4.1% of 29,396 top-5 ranking title tags for 10,019 US keywords contain 2026. Google's displayed titles are only slightly higher, at 4.8% of 177,259 top-20 results. For most searches, the year simply is not part of how ranking pages describe themselves.
The #1 result is even less likely to show it. 3.3% of 6,303 #1 title tags contain 2026, against 4.3% of 23,093 at #2 to #5. Displayed titles show the same gap: 3.9% of 10,019 at #1 against 4.9% at #2 to #10. Top results are likely to include more established brand, product and reference pages, which have little reason to carry a date.
4.1%
Share of 29,396 top-5 ranking title tags that contain the year 2026.
Best searches carry the year, vs searches do not
Search intent changes the picture more than anything else in the data. On "best" searches, the year jumps to 18.2% of 2,017 top-5 title tags. These are roundups and buying guides, where readers expect a current list and publishers update the year to show it.
"Vs" searches go the other way. The year almost disappears there, at 0.6% of 1,190 SaaS comparison title tags. A head-to-head comparison is usually framed around the two products, not the date.
Software leads, health barely uses the year
The software vertical leads all 30 verticals, with 2026 in 17.7% of 1,249 top-5 title tags. Home follows at 9.9% of 953 and finance at 6.7% of 965. These are verticals full of tool roundups, product picks and rate or plan comparisons that change from year to year.
Health is the least dated vertical: 2026 appears in 0.1% of 1,177 top-5 title tags and 0.4% of 6,138 displayed titles. Recipes follow at 0.7% of 864 title tags. Health and recipe content is usually evergreen, and a date in the title would add little for the reader.
Displayed titles show the year more often in some verticals
In some verticals, Google's displayed titles carry the year more often than the sites' own tags. Insurance shows 2026 in 11.3% of 6,213 displayed titles against 6.6% of 965 title tags. Restaurants show it in 9.3% of 6,027 displayed titles against 2.5% of 749 title tags.
The two figures cover different sets of results, the full top 20 for displayed titles and the top 5 for title tags, so part of the gap likely comes from pages lower in the results. Google also builds its title links from more than the title tag, so a year in a page's heading can end up in the displayed title.
What this means for your site
Add the year where the content really is tied to it: "best" lists, buying guides, software roundups and rate or plan comparisons. On those searches, 18.2% of top-5 title tags already include 2026, so a dated title is common enough there to look normal next to its competitors.
Leave it out of evergreen pages, product pages, comparisons and reference content, where top results almost never use it. If you do add a year, update the content along with the title, and set a reminder to change both when the year turns, so the page does not look stale in January.
Sources
- Google Search Central, influencing title links in Google Search: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/title-link
- PageSpeed Matters analysis of Google US top 20 results for 10,019 keywords across 30 verticals, October 2026
Embed this research
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<p style="font:14px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif">Source: <a href="https://www.pagespeedmatters.com/resources/data-studies/years-in-title-tags">Years in Title Tags: Only 4.1% of Top Results Say 2026 - PageSpeed Matters</a></p>
Frequently asked questions
Should I put the year in my title tag?
Only where the content is tied to the year. On 'best' searches, 18.2% of top-5 title tags include 2026, but across all searches only 4.1% do, and in health just 0.1%.
How many top-ranking pages include the year in their title?
4.1% of 29,396 top-5 ranking title tags contain 2026, and 4.8% of 177,259 titles Google displays in the top 20 do. The #1 result is a little less likely to, at 3.3% of title tags.
Which industries use the year in title tags the most?
Software leads at 17.7% of top-5 title tags, followed by home at 9.9% and finance at 6.7%. Health (0.1%), SaaS comparisons (0.6%) and recipes (0.7%) almost never do.
A dated title only helps when the page behind it is kept current, and that is a simple process to put in place. Need help with this? See our on-page SEO services.