How to Write a Title Tag and Meta Description That Get Clicks

The title and the short text below it are often the only part of your page a searcher sees before deciding whether to click. You cannot fully control them, because Google may rewrite both. But a clear, accurate title and description are usually kept, and they make a real difference to how many people choose your result.

Title tag, title link and snippet

The title tag is the <title> element in your page’s HTML. In search results, Google shows a title link, which is usually your title tag but can also be built from your main heading, the og:title tag or the text of links pointing to the page. The snippet below it is generated mainly from the page content; Google uses your meta description when it describes the page more accurately than a passage taken from the page.

How long should they be?

Google sets no character limit for either. Titles and snippets are shortened as needed to fit the width of the device, and width is measured in pixels, not characters. On desktop, titles are commonly cut at around 580–600 pixels and descriptions at around 920 pixels.

Because letters have different widths, character counts are only a rough guide. Here are two titles with exactly the same 56 characters, measured in Arial at 20 pixels, close to how desktop results display titles:

The capitalized version is 31% wider and would be cut off; the normal one fits comfortably. Wide letters such as W, M and capitals take more space than narrow ones such as i, l and t. As a rule of thumb, aim for 50–60 characters for titles and 120–155 for descriptions, then check the real width in the SERP Snippet Preview.

7 rules for titles that earn the click

1. Start with what the page is. Put the main topic first, where it is least likely to be cut off.
2. Make every title unique. Titles that differ by only one word look like boilerplate, and Google may replace them.
3. Match the intent. If people want to do something, say they can (“Convert”, “Calculate”, “Compare”); if they want to learn, promise an answer.
4. Be specific. Formats, numbers and outcomes beat adjectives: “Split PDF in Your Browser” says more than “Best PDF Tool”.
5. Keep the brand short. Add your site name once, at the end, separated by a dash or a pipe, or leave it out when space is tight.
6. Don’t stuff keywords. Repeating “image compressor, compress images, free image compression” looks like spam to people and to Google.
7. Keep title and page in step. Your title, your main heading and your content should promise the same thing; titles that don’t match the page are one of the reasons Google rewrites them.

6 rules for meta descriptions

1. Summarize the page in one or two sentences, as if answering the question “What will I find here?”.
2. Include the details people compare: price, duration, format, location, what is free.
3. Write a different description for every page. Google’s documentation says identical or similar descriptions on every page aren’t helpful.
4. Write for people, not for keywords. Google’s own bad example is a string of keywords (“Sewing supplies, yarn, colored pencils, sewing machines…”) that gives no idea what the page offers.
5. Put the essential part first, so it survives if the text is shortened.
6. Promise only what the page delivers. A click that ends in disappointment is worth less than no click.

SERP Snippet PreviewPreview how your page title and meta description may look in search results and check their length in characters and pixels.Open tool

Don’t forget the URL

The address of the page appears in results too, usually as a breadcrumb. Google recommends readable words instead of long ID numbers and hyphens rather than underscores between words. The URL Slug Generator turns a title into a clean URL. Keep it short and stable: once a page ranks, don’t change its address without a redirect.

A quick checklist

• The title fits in about 580 pixels and starts with the main topic.
• The title and the main heading (H1) promise the same thing.
• The description has one or two specific sentences and is unique on your site.
• No word is repeated unnaturally. If a page feels repetitive, the Keyword Density Checker shows which words are overused.
• The meta tags are complete: title, description, canonical URL and Open Graph tags for social media. The Meta Tag Generator writes them for you.
• After a few weeks, check Google Search Console: pages with many impressions but few clicks are the first candidates for a better title.

Why Google sometimes ignores your text

Google may rewrite a title that is half-empty, out of date (a “2019 guide” in 2026), obviously inaccurate, mostly boilerplate or written in a different language from the page. Descriptions are replaced whenever Google finds a passage that answers a particular search better, which is why the same page can show different snippets for different searches. If Google keeps rewriting a title, treat it as a hint: the replacement shows what Google thinks the page is about.

Tools used in this guide

• SERP Snippet Preview

  Preview how your page title and meta description may look in search results and check their length in characters and pixels.

  Open tool

• Meta Tag Generator

  Create the title, meta description, canonical, robots, Open Graph and Twitter tags for any page and copy the ready-made HTML.

  Open tool

• URL Slug Generator

  Turn titles into clean, SEO-friendly URL slugs: lowercase, hyphens, no accents or special characters. Many titles at once.

  Open tool

• Keyword Density Checker

  Find the most frequent words and phrases in your text, with counts and density in percent, and check your focus keyword.

  Open tool

Frequently asked questions

Is there a maximum length for a title tag?

Google sets no limit, but titles are shortened to fit the screen width, typically around 580–600 pixels on desktop. About 50–60 characters usually fit; capital and wide letters fit fewer.

Why does Google show a different description from mine?

The snippet is chosen for each search. Google uses your meta description when it describes the page better than the page content does; otherwise it shows a passage from the page that matches the search.

Should my brand name be in every title?

Usually yes, once and at the end, separated by a dash or a pipe. On the homepage it can come first. If a title is already long, the content matters more than the brand.

How long does it take for a new title to appear in Google?

Google needs to crawl the page again, which can take from a few days to a few weeks. You can ask for a new crawl with the URL Inspection tool in Search Console.

Do meta keywords still matter?

No. Google ignores the keywords meta tag. Spend the time on the title, the description and the content instead.

Sources and further reading

1. Influencing your title links in search results – Google Search Central (developers.google.com)
2. Control your snippets in search results – Google Search Central (developers.google.com)
3. URL structure best practices for Google – Google Search Central (developers.google.com)