Title tags and meta descriptions

Also called Page title, Meta title, Meta description, SEO title, Title link.

A title tag is the page name set in the page's code, which Google usually shows as the blue link in search results and browsers show on the tab. A meta description is a short summary in the code that Google sometimes shows under that link. Every page should have its own of each.

Doug's Field Guide · Updated September 30, 2026

How do you write a good title tag?

Say what the page is about and where, in the words a customer would search. 'Drain Cleaning in Round Rock, TX | Smith Plumbing' tells the searcher and Google exactly what they'll get. 'Home' or 'Services' tells them nothing.

Google has no hard character limit, but it cuts long titles to fit the screen, so put the service and town first and the business name last. Around 50 to 60 characters usually shows in full.

Give every page a different title. Google's guidance calls out boilerplate titles repeated across pages, and it will often replace a title that is missing, repeated, stuffed with keywords or doesn't match the page. When Google rewrites your title, it is usually a sign the original had one of those problems.

How do you write a meta description?

A meta description is a pitch for the click. Google builds most snippets from the page text itself, and uses your meta description when it describes the page better. It doesn't affect ranking, but a clear one helps the right people click.

Write one or two plain sentences with the facts a customer wants before calling: what you do, where, how fast, and a price range if you can give one. 'Same day drain cleaning across Round Rock and Pflugerville. Most calls run $150 to $300. Book online or call 7am to 7pm.' is far more useful than a list of keywords.

Like titles, descriptions should be unique per page. Google truncates long ones to fit the device width, so keep the key facts in the first 150 or so characters.

Fix your titles in an hour

Search Google for site:yourdomain.com and read the blue links for your pages.
Note any page titled 'Home', 'Services', your business name alone, or a title used on more than one page.
Rewrite each as service, town, then business name, around 60 characters or fewer.
Write a one or two sentence description for your five most important pages with what you do, where, and a price range or response time.

Common mistakes

Using the same title on every page, usually just the business name, so Google can't tell the pages apart.
Stuffing titles with every town and service, which Google flags as keyword stuffing and often rewrites.
Leaving the site builder's default meta description on every page.

How Doug does it

Doug's weekly site health check flags pages with missing titles, missing descriptions, and titles that are too long or duplicated across pages. The service, area and guide pages he drafts and publishes come with their own title and description.

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Terms on this page

H1: The main heading on a page, the one visitors see first. Each page should have one that says plainly what the page is about.
Title tag: The page name set in the page's code, usually shown as the blue link in Google and on the browser tab. Each page should have its own.

Keep exploring

Sources

Written by Doug's team from these sources and our own work with local businesses. Search engines change their rules, so check the source before a big decision.