diff --git a/beets/autotag/match.py b/beets/autotag/match.py
index f38c23efe..b88acf3df 100644
--- a/beets/autotag/match.py
+++ b/beets/autotag/match.py
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ def _add_candidate(
 def tag_album(
     items,
     search_artist: str | None = None,
-    search_album: str | None = None,
+    search_name: str | None = None,
     search_ids: list[str] = [],
 ) -> tuple[str, str, Proposal]:
     """Return a tuple of the current artist name, the current album
@@ -303,10 +303,10 @@ def tag_album(
                     )
 
         # Search terms.
-        if not (search_artist and search_album):
+        if not (search_artist and search_name):
             # No explicit search terms -- use current metadata.
-            search_artist, search_album = cur_artist, cur_album
-        log.debug("Search terms: {} - {}", search_artist, search_album)
+            search_artist, search_name = cur_artist, cur_album
+        log.debug("Search terms: {} - {}", search_artist, search_name)
 
         # Is this album likely to be a "various artist" release?
         va_likely = (
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ def tag_album(
 
         # Get the results from the data sources.
         for matched_candidate in metadata_plugins.candidates(
-            items, search_artist, search_album, va_likely
+            items, search_artist, search_name, va_likely
         ):
             _add_candidate(items, candidates, matched_candidate)
             if opt_candidate := candidates.get(matched_candidate.album_id):
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ def tag_album(
 def tag_item(
     item,
     search_artist: str | None = None,
-    search_title: str | None = None,
+    search_name: str | None = None,
     search_ids: list[str] | None = None,
 ) -> Proposal:
     """Find metadata for a single track. Return a `Proposal` consisting
@@ -376,12 +376,12 @@ def tag_item(
 
     # Search terms.
     search_artist = search_artist or item.artist
-    search_title = search_title or item.title
-    log.debug("Item search terms: {} - {}", search_artist, search_title)
+    search_name = search_name or item.title
+    log.debug("Item search terms: {} - {}", search_artist, search_name)
 
     # Get and evaluate candidate metadata.
     for track_info in metadata_plugins.item_candidates(
-        item, search_artist, search_title
+        item, search_artist, search_name
     ):
         dist = track_distance(item, track_info, incl_artist=True)
         candidates[track_info.track_id] = hooks.TrackMatch(dist, track_info)