Titles & Meta Descriptions
Titles and meta descriptions are forms of metadata used to tell search engines what a given webpage is about — and to inform users about the content of a page when they come across it in their search engine results pages (SERPs).
The SEO Office Hours notes below provide advice to help you optimize your page titles and meta-descriptions.
Changing Page Titles Will Impact Rankings
Google uses page titles as one of the factors when determining page rankings, so completely rewriting a page’s title will impact its keyword rankings.
Page Titles May be Rewritten if They Aren’t Clear, Contain Many Keywords or Are Too Long
Google has algorithms to work out when it makes sense to rewrite page titles in search. Rewriting may occur if Google thinks a page title isn’t clear, is a list of keywords or if it is too long.
Don’t Target an Explicit Length For Meta Descriptions
John advises against changing meta descriptions based on what’s currently showing in the SERPs as this changes over time and varies for each query. Meta descriptions aren’t used for ranking, they should be relevant and succinct for users.
Use Similar Titles to Help Google Understand Paginated Sets
Using similar titles across paginated pages helps Google identify sets of paginated pages.
Optimise Meta Descriptions by Looking at Search Queries in GSC
For meta description optimisation, John recommends looking at queries in GSC and searching for those queries. Once you see what queries look like in search results, you can optimise their length accordingly.
Optimize Meta Description Length For Queries That The Page Ranks For
Google tries to use the meta description provided, but if more information or context is needed to fulfil the user’s query then other sections of the page’s content will be included as well. There are no ranking benefits of tweaking or lengthening descriptions, but they need to explain what your service is and your USPs.
There is no Strict Limit on Meta Description Lengths
There isn’t a strict limit on meta description lengths as Google will try to show content that is relevant to the user. Longer meta descriptions can be used if they are relevant to the user’s query.
Page Titles & Meta Descriptions are Rewritten for Queries & Devices
Google rewrites page titles and meta descriptions based on the query and the allocated space available on the user’s device.
Google Has No Documented Character Limit For Mobile & Desktop For Titles
Google has no documented recommended title character length limits for mobile and desktop. John recommends working out what works best for your website. Sometimes really short titles work better than long ones.
Google May Combine Similar Language Pages
If you have separate pages with the same language targeting different countries, Google may choose to index one URL but show different titles.