Title tags and meta descriptions are critical elements of on-page SEO. They not only help search engines understand what your pages are about but also heavily influence click-through rates from the search results. A well-crafted title tag and meta description can be the difference between a user clicking through to your site or scrolling past to a competitor. In this guide, we'll walk you through how to audit your website's title tags and meta descriptions to identify issues and optimize for better SEO performance.
Neglecting to audit and optimize your title tags and meta descriptions can lead to several SEO issues, including:
- Lower click-through rates from search results
- Unclear or incomplete information about page content
- Keyword stuffing or lack of keyword relevance
- Duplicate or missing tags
By the end of this article, you'll know exactly how to assess your current title tags and meta descriptions, identify areas for improvement, and craft compelling, SEO-friendly tags that drive more organic traffic.
1. Crawl Your Site to Gather Title Tag and Meta Description Data
The first step in auditing your title tags and meta descriptions is to get a comprehensive view of what you currently have. The best way to do this is to use a site crawling tool like Screaming Frog or DeepCrawl. These tools will scan every page on your site and pull back key on-page elements, including the title tag and meta description.
When setting up your crawl, make sure to:
- Crawl all subdomains and subdirectories that are relevant
- Increase the crawl depth limit to ensure all important pages are captured
- Crawl any necessary URL parameters
- Integrate Google Search Console to compare crawl data against what Google sees
Once the crawl is complete, export the data to a spreadsheet so you can easily manipulate and analyze the title tag and meta description information for each URL.
2. Identify Missing, Duplicate, or Poorly Written Tags
With your exported crawl data in hand, it's time to start identifying issues and optimization opportunities. Some common problems to look for include:
Missing tags: Any page that's missing a title tag or meta description is a lost opportunity. These are essential elements for SEO and should be present on every indexable page. Use your crawl data to filter for any rows where the title tag or meta description column is blank.
Duplicate tags: Having the same title tag or meta description across multiple pages not only looks unprofessional but can also confuse search engines about which page to rank. Identify any duplicate tags by sorting your spreadsheet by the title tag and meta description columns.
Overlong tags: Title tags should be 50-60 characters long and meta descriptions 150-160 characters. Any longer and the text will get cut off in search results. Filter your data for any title tags over 60 characters or meta descriptions over 160 characters.
Keyword stuffing: Cramming title tags and meta descriptions with keywords in an unnatural way is a spam tactic that can hurt your SEO. Review tags for any instances of excessive keyword repetition or lists of keywords.
Non-descriptive or irrelevant tags: Title tags and meta descriptions should accurately reflect the content of the page and compel users to click through. Evaluate the tags for each key page and ask yourself:
- Is it clear what the page is about?
- Does it include the main target keyword?
- Is it compelling and relevant to the user's search query?
- Does it differentiate the page from other similar search results?
3. Prioritize High-Value Pages
With a long list of title tag and meta description issues, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. The key is to prioritize your most important pages first. These are the pages that have the potential to drive the most organic traffic and revenue.
Some high-priority pages to focus on first include:
- Your homepage
- Top-level category or product listing pages
- Best-selling product pages
- High-traffic blog posts or articles
- Key landing pages for advertising campaigns
Start by optimizing the title tags and meta descriptions for these high-value pages. Not only will this have the biggest impact, but it will also give you a framework to follow for your other pages.
4. Craft Compelling, Keyword-Rich Title Tags
A great title tag should be:
- Concise: 50-60 characters long
- Descriptive: Accurately reflects the page content
- Keyword-rich: Includes the main target keyword
- Compelling: Entices the user to click through
- Unique: Differentiates the page from other search results
When writing your title tags, always lead with the most important keywords for that page. For product pages, this is usually the product name. For category pages, it's typically the category name. Use natural language and avoid keyword stuffing.
In addition to the main keyword, consider including secondary keywords or modifiers that clarify what the page is about. For example:
- Before: Men's Shoes
- After: Men's Running Shoes | Nike, Adidas, Asics
The second version includes additional keywords that specify the type of shoes (running) and some popular brands. This helps the page show up for more relevant searches.
5. Write Click-Worthy Meta Descriptions
While meta descriptions don't directly impact rankings, they are incredibly important for driving clicks from search results. A compelling meta description can be the difference between a user visiting your site or bouncing back to the search results.
When crafting your meta descriptions, follow these best practices:
- Keep it under 160 characters
- Include the main keyword naturally
- Clearly summarize what the page is about
- Highlight unique value propositions or benefits
- Include a call-to-action
- Use active voice
Think of your meta description as ad copy. You want to "sell" the user on clicking through to your page. Highlight what makes your page the best result for their query and why they should choose you over the other search results.
Here's an example of a compelling meta description for a product page:
Shop the latest Nike running shoes for men. Browse top models like Air Zoom Pegasus and Revolution 6. Free shipping & returns. Find your perfect fit today!
This meta description includes the main keywords, highlights key product models, mentions the free shipping and returns benefit, and includes a call-to-action to "find your perfect fit today".
6. Implement & Test Your Optimized Tags
Once you've written optimized title tags and meta descriptions for your high-priority pages, it's time to implement them on your site. The process for this will vary depending on your website platform.
In general, you'll want to:
- Update the
tag in the <head> section of each page's HTML</head> - Add the meta description using the syntax:
- If you're using a CMS like WordPress, you can install an SEO plugin to manage your title tags and meta descriptions
- Upload your changes to the live site
After uploading your new tags, use Google Search Console's URL Inspection tool to recrawl each updated URL and ensure the changes are reflected.
Monitor your search performance over time to see how your optimized tags impact click-through rates and organic traffic. Use this data to continue iterating and testing different tag variations.
Key Takeaways for Title Tag & Meta Description Audits
Title tags and meta descriptions are key on-page SEO elements that every website should be optimizing. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can audit your existing tags, identify issues or opportunities, and craft compelling new tags that drive clicks and organic traffic.
Remember to:
- Use a site crawling tool to gather title tag and meta description data
- Look for missing, duplicate, or poorly optimized tags
- Prioritize your highest-value pages
- Write concise, descriptive, keyword-rich title tags
- Craft click-worthy meta descriptions that "sell" the user on your page
- Implement your changes and monitor performance over time
With optimized title tags and meta descriptions, you can improve your search visibility, click-through rates, and ultimately, your organic search traffic and revenue. Make auditing and optimizing these critical tags a regular part of your SEO strategy.