Before someone visits your website, they often see two short pieces of text in a search result: a blue headline and a line or two underneath. Those words help them decide whether your page answers their question.
Many small-business websites still use titles such as “Home” or “Services”. Those words describe nothing. The seven rules below show how to write better ones, with a fictional dog-grooming business as an example. You do not need to know any code.
What are a page title and a meta description?
A page title is the name of a web page. It appears in the browser tab, in bookmarks and often as the clickable headline in search results. A meta description is a short summary of the page that search engines may show under that headline.
Both live in the page's settings, not in the visible text. Most website builders have an “SEO” or “page settings” panel where you can type them. SEO means Search Engine Optimisation: making a page easier for search engines to find and understand.
1. What should the page title say first?
Start the title with the main topic of the page, in the words a customer would use. People scan search results quickly, so the first few words do most of the work.
For a groomer's service page, “Dog Grooming in Hamilton” is clearer than “Welcome to Paws & Suds”. A customer who has not heard of the business still understands what the page is about.
Google's guidance on influencing title links asks for titles that are descriptive and concise. It warns against vague titles and against stuffing in many keywords. One clear topic is enough.
2. How long should a page title be?
Aim for about 50–60 characters, including spaces. This is a practical guide, not an official rule. Google does not set a character limit, but it shortens long titles to fit the width of the screen.
When a title is cut off, the end disappears and is replaced with dots. That is why the important words belong at the start. If your business name is at the end and gets cut, the reader still knows what you do.
A very short title can be a problem too. “Grooming” alone does not say which animals, which area or what kind of service you offer.
3. Should you include your business name and location?
Usually, yes. Add your business name at the end of most titles, after a separator such as a dash or a vertical bar. Add a town or region when you serve customers in a particular area.
For example: “Dog Grooming in Hamilton | Paws & Suds”. That is 41 characters. It names the service, the place and the business, in that order.
Your home page is the exception. There, the business name can come first, followed by what you do: “Paws & Suds | Dog Grooming in Hamilton”. Our guide to service area SEO explains how to describe the places you cover.
4. Why does every page need a different title?
Each page answers a different question, so each page needs its own title. When ten pages share the same title, search engines and customers cannot tell them apart.
Google's title link guidance specifically mentions repeated or “boilerplate” titles as a problem. A boilerplate title is the same text copied across many pages, such as your business name on its own.
A quick test: list all your page titles in one column. If two titles look the same, rewrite one. If two pages really cover the same topic, consider combining them instead.
5. What should a meta description include?
Write one or two plain sentences that answer three questions: what is on this page, who is it for, and what can the reader do next? Add one specific detail that helps them choose.
Specific details include a starting price, a service area, opening hours, a booking option or the types of jobs you do. These are things a customer can check and compare. “Quality service you can trust” is not.
Example: Full grooms, baths and nail trims for dogs of all sizes in Hamilton. Book online for weekday or Saturday appointments.
That example is about 125 characters. Around 150–160 characters is a sensible maximum, because longer descriptions are usually shortened in results. Write a different description for each important page.
6. Why does Google sometimes show different words?
Google may rewrite your title or choose its own snippet when it thinks other text describes the page better. This is normal, and it is not a penalty.
Google explains in its snippet guidance that snippets mainly come from the page content. It may use your meta description when that gives a more accurate summary. For titles, it can also draw on the main heading and other text on the page.
The best way to keep control is consistency. Make the title, the main heading (H1) and the first paragraph agree with each other. If your title promises prices, make sure the page actually shows them.
7. How do you check your titles and descriptions?
Open each page and look at the browser tab to see its title. Then search for your business name and service, and read your result as a stranger would. Does it tell them what you do and where?
Google Search Console is a free Google tool that shows which searches your pages appear for and how often people click. If a page appears often but few people click, its title and description are a good place to start. Change one page at a time and note the date, so you can compare later.
Search engines need time to revisit a page before they show new wording. Do not expect to see the change the same day. Our article on tracking AI traffic covers other ways to see where visitors come from.
What could better titles look like?
Here is how the fictional groomer could rewrite three pages. Each new title names the topic first, adds the place and ends with the business name. Use the table as a pattern for your own pages.
| Page | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Home page | Home | Paws & Suds | Dog Grooming in Hamilton |
| Main service page | Services | Dog Grooming Prices and Packages | Paws & Suds |
| Puppy service page | Puppies | Puppy’s First Groom in Hamilton | Paws & Suds |
| FAQ page | FAQ | Dog Grooming Questions Answered | Paws & Suds |
Start with the pages that matter most to enquiries: usually your home page and your main service pages. Our guide to writing service pages that AI can understand helps with the content below the title.
Do titles and descriptions matter for AI answers?
They help, but they are only one part. AI search tools still rely on pages that are clear and easy to understand. Google says in its AI features guidance that the same SEO best practices apply to its AI features.
A clear title and description tell any system, quickly, what a page is about. The full answer still has to be on the page itself. A good title cannot make up for a page that does not explain your service.
This is part of what we call xEO: making a website easy to understand for search engines, AI assistants and voice answers together. A Green Kauri website includes xEO from the start. For a site you already have, our xEO Optimisation service reviews titles and descriptions alongside the rest of the site.
What else should you know about page titles and descriptions?
Is the page title the same as the H1 heading?
Not quite. The page title appears in the browser tab and search results, while the H1 is the main heading visible on the page. They should cover the same topic and use similar words. The title can add your business name, and the H1 can be a little longer or friendlier.
Do meta descriptions help a page rank higher?
Treat a meta description as a short advert for the page, not as a ranking tool. Its main job is helping someone decide whether to click. A clear, specific description can make your result more useful to that person. Rankings depend much more on the page content and how well it answers the search.
Can I use AI to write my page titles and descriptions?
Yes, as a starting point. Give the AI tool the page topic, your area and one or two real details, then ask for a few options. Check every suggestion against the actual page and edit the wording. Remove any claim, price or promise that your business does not actually offer.
How often should I update titles and descriptions?
Review them when a page changes, when you add a new service or area, or when prices and booking options change. Otherwise, a check every few months is enough. Change one page at a time and record the date, so you can compare clicks before and after in Search Console.