Title & Meta Tags
Title tags and meta descriptions are among the most visible and controllable on-page SEO elements. They influence search rankings, click-through rate (CTR), and user expectations before a visitor even lands on your site.
Title tags remain a confirmed ranking signal, while meta descriptions strongly affect CTR. A well-optimized title and description can outperform higher-ranking pages with weak messaging.
An SaaS company rewrote title tags to clearly reflect user intent (“Free CRM for Small Teams”) and optimized meta descriptions for benefits instead of features. CTR increased by 18% without changing rankings.
Title Tag Best Practices
- Keep titles 50–60 characters to avoid truncation
- Place primary keywords early, naturally
- Match search intent (informational vs transactional)
- Avoid keyword stuffing or auto-generated titles
Meta Description Optimization
Meta descriptions do not directly affect rankings, but they strongly influence clicks.
Best practices:
- 140–160 characters for desktop
- Explain value and outcome, not just keywords
- Include a soft call-to-action when appropriate
Common Issues to Avoid
- Duplicate title tags across pages
- Missing or auto-generated meta descriptions
- Titles rewritten by Google due to poor relevance