A good meta title is a unique headline that puts the page's main keyword near the start, stays within roughly 50-60 characters (about 580-600 pixels on desktop) and ends with the brand name. A good meta description explains the page's promise, a concrete benefit and a clear call to action in 140-160 characters. Every page needs its own title and description.
The meta title feeds the blue headline shown in search results and the browser tab, and it is a ranking signal. The meta description is not a direct ranking factor, but it shapes the snippet shown in results and therefore the click-through rate. Together they are your free ad on the results page.
How long should a meta title be: pixels or characters?
Meta title length is really governed by pixel width rather than character count; on desktop Google truncates the title with an ellipsis after roughly 580-600 pixels. For most titles that works out to 50-60 characters. Wide letters such as M and W, and titles written in capitals, get cut off sooner.
- —Target: 50-60 characters, with the critical information in the first 45-50.
- —Put the main keyword near the start and the brand at the end: «Service + Location | Brand».
- —Avoid all caps; it takes up more pixels and reads like shouting.
- —Mobile title space differs; if the important part comes first, truncation does little harm.
- —SERP preview tools and browser extensions show the pixel width for a quick check.
Why does Google rewrite meta titles and descriptions?
Google rewrites meta titles and descriptions when it decides they do not represent the page or the user's query well enough. Since August 2021 Google has generated its own title links more often, drawing on the H1, other prominent headings or anchor text. Descriptions are replaced even more frequently with text pulled from the page to match the query.
- —Overlong titles: shortened or swapped for a different headline rather than simply truncated.
- —Keyword-stuffed titles such as «Web Design, Web Design Prices, Cheap Web Design».
- —Titles that do not match the page's H1 at all.
- —The same title or description template used across the whole site.
- —Descriptions that do not answer the query: Google shows a matching paragraph from the page instead.
You cannot fully prevent rewrites; the goal is to make your text worth using. A title that matches the H1, summarises the page honestly and has a sensible length is noticeably less likely to be rewritten.
To see a title Google has rewritten, simply look at the search result; Search Console does not report the difference separately. Check the results for your key pages' target queries from time to time. If your title is consistently replaced, the text Google chooses is a useful clue about how it understands the page.
How do you write a meta description that gets clicks?
A meta description that gets clicks tells searchers in the first sentence that they will find what they are looking for, adds a concrete benefit that sets the page apart, and ends with a short call to action. Keep it around 140-160 characters and use the keyword naturally; Google may bold matching query terms in the snippet.
- —Formula 1 — Problem + solution + action: «Site not showing up on Google? Get visible with a technical audit and local SEO. Ask for a free review.»
- —Formula 2 — Service + location + differentiator + action: «Corporate web design in İzmit: mobile-friendly, fast and built for SEO. Message us for a quote.»
- —Formula 3 — Direct answer + promise of detail: «SEO shows first results in 3-6 months. What to expect month by month and what slows it down, in this guide.»
- —Avoid: empty phrases like «Welcome» or «The best service», and double quotes, which some systems cut the text at.
Why should every page have a unique title and description?
Every page needs a unique meta title and description because Google uses them to tell pages apart, and searchers use them to pick the right result. Pages that share a title compete with each other, are more likely to be rewritten and tend to earn a lower click-through rate.
Search Console no longer reports duplicate titles separately, but crawlers such as Screaming Frog list every duplicated title and description on a site in minutes. Sites with many product or category pages can generate titles from a template, as long as the template contains a variable that differs per page, such as product name, district or service.
On the 404 Ajans website every page pulls its own title and description from a data file, and those tags are written into static HTML at build time. That way each URL in both the Turkish and English versions has its own meta tags, visible even without JavaScript running.
Meta title and description examples for a service business
Good meta title and description examples for a service business combine the service, the location and a distinguishing benefit. The examples below are for a fictional air-conditioning service based in İzmit, each written for a different page and a different search intent. Keep the structure and use your own real details when writing yours.
- —Homepage — Title: «Air Conditioning Service in İzmit | Company Name» · Description: «AC installation, maintenance and repair in İzmit and Kartepe. Call now for a same-day appointment.»
- —Service page — Title: «AC Maintenance in İzmit: Periodic Cleaning | Company Name» · Description: «Filter, indoor and outdoor unit cleaning plus a gas check. See what a service includes and how long it takes.»
- —Blog post — Title: «Why Is My AC Leaking Water? 5 Causes and Fixes» · Description: «A leaking AC usually means a blocked drain line. Five steps you can check at home.»
- —Contact page — Title: «Contact and Service Requests | Company Name» · Description: «Address, opening hours and WhatsApp line. Send your service request and we will reply the same day.»
After publishing, watch impressions and click-through rate per page in Search Console's Performance report. Pages with high impressions but a low click-through rate are the first candidates for a rewrite; give each change a few weeks before judging it.
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