Meta descriptions and SEO titles: what they are and how to write them

Short answer: The SEO title is the text in a page’s <title> element, and the meta description is a short summary of the page in its description meta tag. Google builds the title link and the text under it from them and from the page itself, so it may show something else. Write a distinct, descriptive title and a summary for every page. Google sets no length limit for either; it cuts them to fit the screen.

How Google builds the title link and the snippet

A title link is the title of a search result, the one that links to your page. Google builds it automatically, and it looks at several sources:

• The <title> element and the og:title meta tag.
• The main title shown on the page, headings such as <h1>, and other large, prominent text.
• Other text on the page and anchor text on the page.
• The text of links that point to the page, and WebSite structured data.

The snippet, the text under the title, comes mainly from the page content. Google sometimes uses your meta description instead, when it describes the page better. The snippet can change from one search to another, because it previews the part of the page that best matches each search.

Google says it can’t change a title link or a snippet by hand for one site. After you edit the <title>, Google has to recrawl and reprocess the page, which may take a few days to a few weeks.

From Google Search Central, “Influencing title links in Google Search” and “How to write meta descriptions”, read November 2, 2026.

How to write the title

1. Give every page of your site its own <title> element.
2. Describe the page in a few words. Avoid vague titles like “Home” for the home page or “Profile” for a person’s profile.
3. Keep it concise. There’s no limit on its length, but Google cuts the title link as needed, usually to fit the device’s width.
4. Use a descriptive term once. Repeating the same words or phrases is keyword stuffing and can make the result look spammy.
5. Make each title distinct. If every page says the same thing, people can’t tell your pages apart.
6. Name your business once, at the start or the end, after a hyphen, a colon or a pipe.
7. Write it in the language of the page, and make your main heading the biggest title on the page.

Our own pages follow the same pattern: what the page is, then the name, such as “How to do keyword research for SEO | Feedback Studios”. Our guide on keyword research covers how to choose the search each title answers.

From Google Search Central, “Influencing title links in Google Search”.

How to write the meta description

• One per page. Describe that page, not the whole site. Google suggests a site-level description only on the home page or other pages that gather many others.
• Useful details, not only sentences. Google’s own example for a sewing shop: “Get everything you need to sew your next garment. Open Monday-Friday 8-5pm, located in the Fashion District.”
• No keyword lists. A string of keywords doesn’t tell people what the page is about, and Google is less likely to show it.
• Not too short. Google gives “Mechanical pencil” as an example of a description that says too little.
• No length limit. Google cuts the snippet as needed, usually to fit the device’s width.

If you have no time for every page, Google suggests starting with the most important ones, such as your home page and your popular pages. In WordPress, Wix or another CMS, you don’t have to edit the HTML: look for its search engine settings or a field for meta tags on each page.

From Google Search Central, “How to write meta descriptions”.

Why Google shows a different title

When Google finds a problem in the <title>, it may build the title link from other sources, as in these cases from its documentation:

Problem in the <title>	What Google may do
Half empty, such as “| Site Name”	Use a heading or other large text on the page to complete it
Out of date, such as last year’s date	Take the right date from the visible title on the page
Inaccurate, not about what the page shows	Change the title link so it fits the content
The same boilerplate on many pages	Look for the text that tells those pages apart
Several big headings and no clear main title	Use the first of those headings as the title link

Fix the <title> and ask Google to recrawl the page. Our guide on how to get your website on Google shows how to request it in Search Console.

From Google Search Central, “Influencing title links in Google Search”.

Before you publish a page

• The page has its own <title>, different from every other page.
• The title says what the page is in a few words, with your business name once.
• The page has one clear main heading, the most prominent text on the page.
• The meta description summarizes this page, with real details such as hours or place.
• Neither one repeats a keyword over and over.
• Both are written in the language of the page.

RememberGoogle builds the title link and the snippet itself, using your <title> and your meta description as strong hints. Give every page a distinct, descriptive title and its own summary, in the page’s language. There is no length limit, but the screen cuts what is long.

If you want us to write titles and descriptions across your site, see our SEO services.

Quick answers about titles and meta descriptions

How long should a meta description be?

Google sets no limit on how long a meta description can be. It cuts the snippet as needed, usually to fit the device’s width. Write a short, complete summary of the page and put what matters most at the start, so it survives the cut.

How long should an SEO title be?

There is no limit on the length of the title element either, but Google cuts the title link to fit the device’s width. Google asks for descriptive, concise titles and warns against long or wordy ones, so say what the page is in a few words.

Why does Google show a different title or description?

Google builds both automatically. For the title it can use your headings, the main title on the page or links to it. It may do so when the title element is half empty, out of date, inaccurate or repeated. The snippet can change from one search to another.

Is the meta description the same as the title tag?

No. The title goes in the page’s title element and becomes the title link of the result. The meta description is a summary in a meta tag that Google may use for the text under it. Visitors don’t see the meta description on the page itself.

Can I stop Google from showing a snippet?

Yes. The nosnippet meta tag stops Google from showing a snippet for the page, and the max-snippet tag sets the longest snippet you allow, in characters. Google notes that good descriptions shown in results can bring you more and better search traffic.

Sources

All read on November 2, 2026, in Google Search Central: Influencing title links in Google Search and How to write meta descriptions.