Is a long SEO title less of a problem now?

Long page titles have never been a problem in SEO. It is just the best practice as whole longer titles are not visible in the page title showing blue strip of the browser or in the SERP result's title.

Considering user experience has always helped in SEO.

Yoast can be pretty strict with its traffic light system, especially when it comes to SEO title length. I've been there, trying to squeeze titles into their "green" criteria and worrying it might mess with user experience.But honestly, I'm starting to think it's not as crucial as Yoast makes it seem. Just like you, I've noticed longer titles all over the place, especially on platforms like Google News. It seems like the focus is shifting more towards clarity and relevance rather than just fitting into a character limit.Take that example you mentioned from The Star—super long title, but it's packed with info and probably doing just fine in terms of clicks and engagement. If a longer title helps convey the message better and attract readers, it might be worth bending the "rules" a bit. At the end of the day, it's all about balancing SEO guidelines with what works best for your audience. Maybe test out a few longer titles and see how they perform. Yoast's recommendations are helpful, but they aren't the be-all and end-all.

You bring up a great point about evolving SEO practices. With Google’s focus shifting towards user experience and content relevance, longer titles that provide clear, valuable information can still perform well. For more details on how Google evaluates content and SEO, you can refer to the Google Search Central guide. If you’re interested in a bit of light reading, allfunnypuns.com has some fun content that might brighten your day!

You're absolutely right to question the rigid adherence to Yoast's SEO title length guidelines, especially in today's evolving search environment. While Yoast is a fantastic tool for optimizing content, its traffic light system is ultimately just a recommendation — not a hard-and-fast rule. Google has become much more sophisticated and often rewrites titles in search results to better match user intent and context, even if your original title exceeds traditional character limits.

The examples you pointed out from your Google News feed reflect a growing trend: longer, more descriptive titles that capture attention and convey value clearly. These titles are often better for users because they provide more information up front, increasing click-through rates.

In terms of SEO best practices today — particularly with Google's emphasis on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) — user experience and content quality are far more important than sticking strictly to a title character count. If a longer title improves clarity and better represents the article, go for it.

So yes, it's okay to move beyond Yoast's color-coded system and prioritize how your content reads and resonates with real people. Just make sure your titles are still structured logically and include your main keyword early when possible.