As a blogger or website owner, you may have heard the terms “title tags” and “meta descriptions” thrown around before. These are important elements of on-page SEO that can help your website rank higher in search engine results and attract more clicks from users. In this post, we’ll explore what title tags and meta descriptions are, why they matter, and how you can use them effectively in your blog posts and website content.
First, let’s define these terms. A title tag is the text that appears in the tab of your web browser, as well as in the search engine results pages (SERPs) when your website is listed. It’s a short piece of text that summarizes the content of your page or post and is meant to be catchy and compelling to users.
On the other hand, a meta description is a brief summary of your page or post that appears below the title tag in the SERPs. It’s designed to give users a quick overview of your page or post and entice them to click through to your website.
Now that we know what these elements are, let’s talk about why they matter. Both title tags and meta descriptions play a crucial role in helping search engines understand the content of your website and determine its relevance to users. They also help users decide whether or not to click on your website in the search results.
For this reason, it’s important to put some thought into your title tags and meta descriptions. Here are a few things to consider when writing these elements:
- Keep it relevant: Make sure your title tags and meta descriptions accurately reflect the content of your page or post. If they don’t, users may feel misled and be less likely to click through to your website.
- Use keywords wisely: Including relevant keywords in your title tags and meta descriptions can help search engines understand the topic of your page or post and improve your ranking in the SERPs. However, don’t stuff your title tags and meta descriptions with keywords – this can come across as spammy and may actually harm your ranking.
- Make it compelling: Remember, your title tags and meta descriptions are designed to entice users to click through to your website. Use actionable language and make it clear what users will get by visiting your website.
- Keep it concise: Title tags and meta descriptions should be brief – around 50-60 characters for title tags and 150-160 characters for meta descriptions. This ensures that they don’t get cut off in the search results and gives users a clear idea of what to expect from your page or post.
Now that you know what title tags and meta descriptions are and why they matter, the next step is to incorporate them into your blog posts and website content. Make sure you include both elements in every page or post and use the guidelines above to ensure that they are optimized for users and search engines alike. Doing so will help your website rank higher in SERPs and attract more clicks from users. Good luck!
Kebba Buckley Button says
Paul, thanks for a clear and compelling piece. I get that these are important, but where do I have the opportunity to insert them? Thanks!
Paul says
See my reply to Doug – in WordPress, there is a section on the Blog Edit page (usually on the right side) where you can add tags to that particular blog post. By the way, I will demonstrate this at the next >WordPress Inner Circle call.
doug says
Hi Paul,
I was just looking for luggage tags. The kind that track your luggage through your smartphone using GPS and Bluetooth.
Now where on my Blog do I find the tags you are talking about? Is there one place for the entire site of is it the Title that I put at the top of each post?
Paul says
With each blog post within WordPress, Doug, you can mark the tags you want to associate with the blog post. There is usually a section called ‘Tags’ on the right side of the Blog Edit page.
Amanda says
Thanks for the great blogging tips. I need to remember to add the meta description.
Paul says
You are welcome, Amanda. Happy to know my blog was helpful.