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How to write a meta title and description that earn clicks

The meta title and description are your page’s first appearance in search results. They rarely raise rankings directly, but they have a big say in whether people click.

By Tipamedia · 5 min read · updated

What are the meta title and meta description?

The meta title (title tag) is the blue headline you click in search results, and it also appears in the browser tab. The meta description is the two lines of text beneath it that summarize the page.

Both are written in the head section of a web page, so they are not visible in the body of the page itself.

The ideal length

Google truncates the display based on pixel width, not character count, so these numbers are only a guideline:

  • Title: around 50 to 60 characters so it is not cut off.
  • Description: around 120 to 160 characters.

How to write a good title

A few habits that make titles more effective:

  • Put the main keyword near the start, but keep it sounding natural.
  • Make it unique for every page. The same title on many pages confuses search engines and visitors.
  • Add the brand name at the end, after a separator such as | or a hyphen.
  • Describe the page honestly. A title that promises something that is not there makes people leave quickly.

How to write a description that earns clicks

Think of the description as a short ad for your page. Say what the reader will get, add one reason to click, and end with a light call to action if it fits.

Before: “Our services page.” After: “Website development in Depok for company profiles and web apps. Fast, secure, easy to manage. Free consultation.”

Preview before you publish

Write and check the length with Meta Tag Generator, which also builds the canonical, Open Graph and Twitter Card tags. Then see the estimated look on Google with SERP Preview.

Other important tags

Besides the title and description, a few tags also determine how your page is recognized:

  • Canonical: points to the main address of a page so duplicates do not split the signals.
  • Open Graph: sets the title, description and image (1200 × 630 pixels is recommended) when a link is shared on WhatsApp and social media.
  • robots.txt and sitemap: tell crawlers which pages they may crawl. Create one with Robots.txt Generator.

Need help with your website’s technical SEO?

Meta tags, sitemaps, structured data and page speed are part of the websites we build. See our website development services.

Tools to try it yourself

Frequently asked questions

Does the meta description affect rankings?

Not directly. The description affects how appealing your result is to click, and a good click-through rate still benefits your page.

Does Google always use the title and description I write?

Not always. Google may rewrite how a result is displayed to better match what the user searched for. Clear, relevant writing gives it a better chance of being used as is.

Can two pages use the same title?

Better not. Unique titles and descriptions help search engines understand the difference between pages and show the best match.

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This guide was written by the Tipamedia team based on our day-to-day work. Tell us what you need and we will help you work out the next step.

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