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Title tags and meta descriptions that earn the click: rules, templates and examples

By the Growli teamUpdated 7 min read

Short answer

A title tag names the page and usually becomes the blue link in Google, while the meta description is a short summary that may appear as the snippet below it. Write a unique, specific title with the main topic first and your brand last, plus a description that matches what the searcher wants and gives a reason to click.

Step by step

  1. Step 1: Find pages with missing or duplicate titles

    A free Growli audit lists them, or search Google for site:yourdomain.com and read the results.

    Run a free audit

  2. Step 2: Write the title

    Main keyword first, then what makes you different, brand name last. Keep it to roughly 50 to 60 characters so it is not cut off.

  3. Step 3: Write the description

    Say what the visitor gets on the page, in roughly 120 to 155 characters. Every page needs its own.

  4. Step 4: Add them in your platform

    WordPress: the title and description fields of your SEO plugin under the editor. Shopify: "Search engine listing" at the bottom of the page or product. Wix: the page's SEO settings.

  5. Step 5: Check how they look in Google

    After Google recrawls the page, search site:yourdomain.com. Google may still rewrite a title or description that does not match the page.

What are title tags and meta descriptions?

Both live in the head section of a page's HTML. Visitors never see them on the page itself, but they shape how the page looks in search results, browser tabs and some link previews.

HTML head
<head>
  <title>Emergency plumber in Leeds, 24/7 call-outs | Kirk Plumbing</title>
  <meta name="description" content="Burst pipe or no hot water? Fixed-price emergency plumbing across Leeds, usually on site within the hour. Call or book online.">
</head>

The title is the stronger signal. It tells search engines and people what the page is about. The description does not directly affect rankings in Google, but a good one can make your result the one people choose.

How does Google choose the title and snippet it shows?

Google calls the clickable headline a title link. According to Google's title link documentation, it is generated automatically from several sources: the title element, the main visible title, headings such as the H1, og:title tags, other prominent text, anchor text of links pointing to the page, and WebSite structured data. Your title tag is usually what appears, but not always.

Google says it is more likely to rewrite a title when it is:

  • Half-empty, for example "| Kirk Plumbing" with no page name.
  • Obsolete, such as an old year left in a recurring page.
  • Inaccurate, describing something the page does not contain.
  • Boilerplate, where many pages share nearly the same title.
  • Stuffed with repeated keywords, or a mismatch with the page's language.

Snippets work differently. Google's snippet documentation says snippets are primarily created from the page content, and the meta description is used when it gives a more accurate summary than text taken from the page. Because Google picks the most relevant text for each query, one page can show different snippets for different searches.

When Google rewrites your title, read the version it chose. It often points to the problem: a vague title, a title that does not match the H1, or one shared with other pages.

How long should a title tag and meta description be?

Google sets no maximum length for either. It truncates them in results to fit the screen, and the cut-off is based on pixel width, not a fixed character count. Wide letters like W and M use more space than i or l.

So treat the numbers below as practical guidance from how results usually display, not rules. They change with device, font and layout.

  • Element
    Title tag
    Practical guidance
    Roughly 50 to 60 characters (about 600 px on desktop)
    Why
    Longer titles are often cut off with an ellipsis
  • Element
    Meta description
    Practical guidance
    Roughly 120 to 160 characters
    Why
    Longer text is usually truncated, shorter can look thin
  • Element
    Most important words
    Practical guidance
    Within the first 40 or so characters
    Why
    Survive truncation on small screens

A slightly long title is not a penalty. The real cost is that the end may not show, so put the words that matter at the start and the brand at the end, where losing it hurts least.

How do you write a title that earns the click?

  1. Lead with the topic. Start with the phrase a searcher would type, such as "Emergency plumber in Leeds", not your company name.
  2. Add one reason to choose you. A differentiator like "24/7", "free delivery" or "fixed prices", if it is true.
  3. Put the brand last. Add it concisely at the end after a separator such as a pipe or dash. Your homepage is the exception, where the brand can lead.
  4. Make every title unique. Two pages with the same title compete with each other and confuse Google about which to show.
  5. Match search intent. Someone searching "buy running shoes" wants products, someone searching "how to choose running shoes" wants a guide. Write the title for the page you actually have.
  6. Mention the keyword once. Repeating it reads as spam and is a common reason titles get rewritten.

Keep the H1 on the page close in meaning to the title. They do not need to match word for word, but if they describe different things Google has reason to choose its own title link.

How do you write a meta description that works?

Think of the description as a short answer to the question: why should I click this result and not the next one? Summarise what the page offers, include the details a searcher cares about and end with a plain next step.

  • Include the main keyword naturally. Google often bolds words that match the query.
  • Add concrete facts: price from, delivery time, area served, author or date for articles.
  • Write a sentence, not a list of keywords. Google says keyword lists are less likely to be shown.
  • Be honest. A description that promises what the page does not deliver earns clicks that bounce straight back.
  • On large sites, generate descriptions from page data (product name, price, category) rather than repeating one sentence everywhere.

Good and bad examples by business type

  • Business
    Plumber
    Weak title
    Home | Kirk Plumbing
    Stronger title
    Emergency plumber in Leeds, 24/7 call-outs | Kirk Plumbing
  • Business
    Online shop
    Weak title
    Products page 3
    Stronger title
    Women's trail running shoes, free returns | Fellside
  • Business
    Accountant
    Weak title
    Services
    Stronger title
    Small business accountant in Bristol, fixed monthly fees | Ledgerly
  • Business
    Dentist
    Weak title
    Dentist Dentist London Dentist Cheap
    Stronger title
    Emergency dentist in Camden, same-day appointments | Smile Co
  • Business
    Blog post
    Weak title
    Blog
    Stronger title
    How to repot a monstera without damaging the roots | Leaf & Pot
  • Business
    SaaS
    Weak title
    Welcome to our platform
    Stronger title
    Rota planning software for restaurants | ShiftFlow

The weak versions are vague, stuffed or identical to other pages. The stronger ones say what the page is, who it is for and why it stands out, with the brand at the end. All names above are made up for illustration.

Templates for common page types

Use these as starting points and replace the brackets. Check that each result reads like a sentence a person would want to click.

  • Page type
    Homepage
    Title template
    [Brand]: [what you do] for [who]
    Description template
    [What you do] for [who]. [Key benefit]. [Proof or offer]. [Call to action].
  • Page type
    Service page
    Title template
    [Service] in [area], [differentiator] | [Brand]
    Description template
    [Problem you solve]. [How you do it, price or speed]. [Call to action].
  • Page type
    Product page
    Title template
    [Product name], [key attribute] | [Brand]
    Description template
    [Product] with [feature]. [Price, delivery or returns]. [Call to action].
  • Page type
    Blog post
    Title template
    [Question or topic the reader has] | [Brand]
    Description template
    [What the reader will learn]. [What makes this guide useful].
  • Page type
    Local business
    Title template
    [Business type] in [town], [hours or speciality] | [Brand]
    Description template
    [Service] in [town and nearby areas]. [Opening hours or booking]. [Phone or visit].

How do you find pages with title and description problems?

Common mistakes are easy to spot once you look across the whole site rather than one page at a time:

  • Duplicates. The same title or description on many pages, often from a theme default.
  • Missing descriptions. Google will write a snippet from page text, but you lose control of the pitch.
  • Keyword stuffing. The same phrase repeated two or three times.
  • Placeholders. "Untitled", "Home" or "Just another WordPress site" left from setup.

In Google Search Console, open the Performance report and sort pages by impressions. Pages that are shown often but get a low click-through rate are the best candidates for a rewrite. Use the URL Inspection tool or search for the page in Google to see the title link it actually displays.

To check every page at once, use a site audit. Growli checks titles and descriptions on each page it crawls and flags missing, duplicate and overlong ones, with step-by-step fixes for WordPress, Shopify, Wix and others. You can run a free Growli audit, and our SEO audit checklist covers what to check beyond titles.

Frequently asked questions

Do meta descriptions affect rankings?

Google has said for years that the meta description is not a ranking factor. It still matters because it can become the snippet people read before deciding which result to click. A clearer snippet can mean more visits from the same position.

Why is Google showing a different title from the one I wrote?

Google generates title links from several sources and may replace a title that is vague, outdated, repeated across pages or does not match the page. Make sure the title describes the page accurately and agrees with the main H1. Google can still choose otherwise, and there is no setting to force it.

Should I put my brand name first or last in the title?

On most pages put it last, so the topic searchers care about comes first and survives truncation. On your homepage, or if your brand is well known and people search for it, leading with the brand makes sense.

Do I need a meta description on every page?

Prioritise the pages that matter most: the homepage, main service or category pages and popular posts. For very large sites, descriptions generated from page data are better than one repeated sentence. A missing description is not an error, but you give Google the job of choosing your snippet.

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