Writing Titles and Meta Descriptions That Get Clicked
5 min read
Length limits, structure and honesty — how to write the two pieces of text most people see before they see your page.
The title tag
A title should state the subject plainly, contain the phrase the page targets, and fit in the space search engines display — roughly sixty characters, though the real limit is measured in pixels. Put the distinguishing words first; the brand name, if you include it, belongs at the end.
Every page needs its own title. Duplicated titles across a site make pages look interchangeable to both people and crawlers.
The meta description
The description is not a ranking factor, but it is advertising copy shown at the moment of decision. Around 150 to 160 characters usually survives truncation. Say what the page gives the reader and why it is worth the click, in specific terms.
Search engines frequently rewrite descriptions using page text when they find a better match for the query. A well-written description is still worth having — it is used often enough to matter.
Honesty is a conversion strategy
Overpromising in a title raises clicks and destroys the metric that matters, which is whether the visitor stays and acts. Describe the page you actually wrote.
Frequently asked questions
- How long should a title tag be?
- Keep the essential words within about sixty characters so they remain visible on most result pages and devices.
- Do meta descriptions affect rankings?
- Not directly. They influence click-through, and a clear description of the right page tends to attract visitors who stay.