Writing Page Titles and Meta Descriptions That Get Clicks
By CodexierPublished 5 min read
The page title and meta description are the first thing a searcher sees of your site: the blue headline and the short text under it in Google's results. They are small, cheap to change and often neglected. A clearer title can bring more clicks from the rankings you already have. This guide covers what each does, how long to make them, where the keyword and brand name go, why Google sometimes rewrites them and how to test changes.
What titles and descriptions do
The title tag tells both Google and the searcher what the page is about. It carries weight for ranking and it is the headline people click. The meta description does not affect ranking directly, but it is your sales pitch in the results: it can decide whether a searcher clicks you or the competitor above.
| Element | Ranking effect | Click effect | Where it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title tag | Yes | Strong | Headline in results, browser tab, shared links |
| Meta description | No direct effect | Moderate | Snippet under the headline, when Google uses it |
| H1 on the page | Yes | None directly | On the page itself |
Length and truncation
Google truncates by pixel width, not by character count, so the limits are approximate. Wide letters take more space; Swedish words with å, ä and ö are not a problem in themselves, but long compound words can push the end off the line. On mobile, titles can wrap to more lines, while descriptions are often cut shorter.
- Titles: aim for about 50–60 characters and put the essential words first
- Descriptions: about 150–160 characters, with the key point in the first half
- Do not stuff several keywords separated by pipes; it looks like spam and wastes space
- Preview in a snippet tool or simply search your page and look
Keyword and brand placement
Lead with what the searcher is looking for, not with your company name. 'Accounting for sole traders in Uppsala | Firm Name' works better than 'Firm Name – Welcome to our website'. The brand still belongs in the title, usually at the end, because it builds recognition and matters for people searching for you by name.
| Page type | Title pattern | Description should include |
|---|---|---|
| Service page | Service + place or audience | Brand | Who it is for, a concrete benefit, how to get started |
| Guide or article | The question or topic, plainly | What the reader will learn |
| Product page | Product name + key attribute | Brand | Price or delivery information, key feature |
| Homepage | What you do + for whom | Brand | Main offer and a reason to choose you |
Write the description as a promise the page keeps. A description that oversells gets the click but loses the visitor, and that shows up as unhappy users, not rankings gained.
Why Google rewrites them
Google may show a different title or description than the one you wrote. For descriptions this is common: Google often pulls a passage from the page that better matches the specific query. For titles it happens when yours is missing, too long, stuffed with keywords, identical across many pages or does not reflect the page's content.
- Make each title unique and specific to its page
- Keep the title consistent with the page's main heading
- Avoid boilerplate such as the same description on every product
- Write descriptions that summarise the page, so Google has less reason to replace them
A rewrite is not a penalty. It is a signal that your text is not the best match for the queries the page appears for, which can itself point to a search intent problem.
Testing changes in Search Console
Search Console's performance report shows impressions, clicks, click-through rate and average position per page and query. That is enough for a simple before-and-after test.
- Pick pages with many impressions but a low click-through rate for their position
- Note the current figures for the last four weeks
- Change the title and description, then request indexing
- Compare four weeks after the change with the four weeks before, checking that position stayed similar
- Keep a log of changes so you can connect cause and effect
Our guide to Google Search Console for beginners shows where to find these numbers.
At scale, and when you need help
On a small site, writing titles and descriptions by hand for every page is an afternoon's work and well worth it. On webshops and large sites, templates generate them, and that is where duplicates and truncation creep in. Our SEO audit and technical fix finds missing, duplicate and truncated titles across the site and fixes the templates; prices are on our pricing page. If you only have a few pages, you do not need us for this. Book a short call if you are unsure.
Frequently asked questions
Does the meta description affect rankings?
Not directly. Google has said the meta description is not a ranking factor. It affects how many people click, which is why it still matters.
Should every page have a unique title?
Yes. Duplicate titles make it harder for Google to tell pages apart and for searchers to choose. On webshops, build templates that combine product name and a distinguishing attribute.
Can I use emojis or special characters?
You can, but Google may drop them, and they rarely suit a professional service. Clear words usually outperform decoration.
How often should I update titles and descriptions?
When the page's content or offer changes, and when Search Console shows a low click-through rate for the position. Frequent changes without a reason make results harder to read.
Ranking, but not getting clicks?
Share a page that ranks but gets few clicks, and on a short call we will look at its title and description together and suggest what to test.
Book a free 15-minute call