Title and meta description: the first thing customers see on Google
The title and meta description are what people see on Google before they visit. How to write them so searchers choose you over the next result.
When someone searches "physiotherapist in Manchester", Google shows a list. For each website they see two things: a blue line and two or three lines of text underneath. That is how they decide which result to click. Those two pieces are the page's title and meta description, and they are written on purpose, one for every page of your website.
What the title and meta description are
- The title is the large clickable line. It also appears in the browser tab and often when the link is shared.
- The description is the text underneath. It does not move you up the rankings on its own, but it decides whether people click or keep scrolling.
If you do not write them, Google makes them up from bits of your page. Sometimes it gets it right. Often the title ends up as "Home" and the description is a random sentence from the footer.
How to write a good title
- What you do and where, first: "Sports physiotherapy in Manchester".
- Your name at the end, separated: "… — Movement Clinic".
- Around 50–60 characters. Longer titles get cut off with an ellipsis.
- A different one for every page. Your pelvic health page cannot have the same title as your home page.
A title like "Welcome to our website" tells neither searchers nor Google anything.
How to write a good meta description
Think of it as the shop window for the page:
- What people will find when they click: services, prices, how to book.
- Why you: a concrete fact, not an adjective. "Same-day appointments" beats "the best service".
- A clear invitation: "Book online", "See prices".
- Roughly 140–160 characters. Slightly less shows on mobile.
Example: "Sports and pelvic health physiotherapy in Didsbury. First assessment included and online booking in two minutes."
Common title and meta description mistakes
- The same title on every page. Google cannot tell which one to show and you miss chances.
- Keyword stuffing: "physio Manchester physiotherapy Manchester physiotherapist". It reads like spam and nobody clicks.
- Promising what the page does not have. If the description says "prices" and there are none, the visitor leaves for good.
- Forgetting new pages. Every page you add needs its own.
Does Google always use your title and meta description?
Not always. Google may rewrite your title or description if it thinks other text on the page answers the search better. It happens less when they are well written and match the content. That is why the title and the page's main heading should say the same thing in similar words; more in H1, H2 and H3 headings.
How I do it
On Nueva Página websites every page ships with its own hand-written title and description, written for what your customers search rather than to fill a box. It is part of the basic SEO included in every plan; details in what basic SEO includes.
How to check the title and meta description of your pages
The quickest way is to search Google for `site:yourdomain.com`. You will see each page's title and meta description as Google shows them, and you will notice straight away if they repeat, get cut off or were made up by Google. Then open Search Console and look for pages with many impressions but few clicks: they usually need a better title.
Google explains how it chooses what to show in its guides to title links and snippets and meta descriptions. Change the pages that matter most first and wait a few weeks to compare. In addition, if you share pages on WhatsApp, check their link preview. A good title is half the click.
Frequently asked questions
How long until Google shows a new title?
It updates when it next visits the page. For a website registered in Search Console, that is usually a matter of days.
Should every title include my town?
On the home page and service pages, yes, if your customers are local. Your legal notice does not need it.
Does the description help rankings?
Not directly. What it does is get more people to click your result, and that is what brings you customers.
Do you write the title and meta description for every page?
Yes. On Nueva Página websites every page launches with its own, written by hand, as part of the basic SEO. See the cost calculator.