How do I write meta titles and descriptions that earn the click?

Title tags and meta descriptions are the headline and subhead in the search results. They’re also the part most websites get wrong, treating them as keyword bins instead of advertising.

Done right, meta tweaks alone can double click-through rate without changing rankings at all.

Title tags

Length

50-60 characters. Google truncates around 580 pixels (which varies by character widths). Short and punchy beats truncated mid-sentence.

Structure

Primary keyword + benefit + brand. Example: “Solar Panel Installation Newcastle | 10-Year Warranty | Jezweb Solar.”

Differentiation

Look at the SERP for your target query. Are all titles the same shape? Be different. Use a number, a year, a guarantee, a question, whatever the others aren’t doing.

Don’t keyword-stuff

“Plumber Newcastle | Plumber NSW | Newcastle Plumber” reads as spam to humans and Google. One natural mention, then move on.

Meta descriptions

Length

150-160 characters. Use the full real estate: truncated descriptions look unfinished.

Treat them as ad copy

Action verb to start. Specific benefit. Soft CTA at the end. Example: “Compare 2026 solar prices for Newcastle homes. Free quote in 24 hours, 10-year warranty, accredited installer.”

Include the keyword

Google bolds the matched keyword in the description. Bolded text catches the eye. Use the keyword once, naturally.

Don’t auto-generate

Default WordPress generates meta descriptions from the first 160 characters of body content. This is rarely persuasive. Write each one manually for pages that matter.

When Google ignores your description

Google will sometimes substitute a different snippet from your page if it thinks that better matches the query. This is normal and often beneficial: the page wins clicks for queries you didn’t target.

If Google’s rewriting your descriptions consistently, that’s a hint your descriptions aren’t matching real search intent. Update them based on what Google’s using.

Testing

Search Console’s Performance report shows CTR per query. Pages with high impressions and low CTR are your test candidates. Rewrite the title or description, wait 2-4 weeks, see if CTR moves.

A 1% CTR improvement on a query with 10,000 monthly impressions is 100 extra visits a month. From a 10-minute writing change.