Why Titles and Descriptions Still Matter
One of the main goals for any website is to make it stand out in search results on Google and leading search engines. One of the easiest, and most effective ways to do this is through the website’s metadata, specifically, the title and description of each page. These metadata fields might sound like old-school internet lingo or technical jargon, but don’t mistake their importance to the website and its marketing abilities. These metadata tags play an important role in how users and search engines understand your site, and even whether they click through to your site or keep scrolling.
What Is Metadata, Exactly?
Metadata is information about your website’s content (and your business) that isn’t entirely visible on the page itself, but rather there to help describe what is on that page. Arguably the two most important pieces of metadata for any website are:
Title Tag – This is the clickable blue headline that users will see in search engine results. It’s also what shows up in the browser tab when someone is on your site.
Meta Description – This is the short paragraph or write up, ideally around 150–160 characters, that is listed just under the title (clickable link) in search results. This provides a quick summary of the individual website page’s content.
Both are added behind the scenes of your website in HTML code and are looked at by search engines like Google to help display and rank your pages in search results. On WordPress sites, you can easily set both the Title and Description meta tags using the Yoast plugin for SEO.
Why Metadata Still Matters
The term “metadata” might sound a little too techy or even outdated. However, its function and need is far from obsolete. Think of it like a book’s title on the spine of the book and paragraph on the back describing what the book is about. You could have the most incredible content inside, but if the title doesn’t catch attention and the description doesn’t sell the value, readers (or in this case, searchers) might never give it a second glance.
Not only does metadata influence how your page appears in search engine results, but it can also affect how often people choose to click through to your site. A clear, keyword-rich title paired with a compelling, informative description can boost your site’s visibility and click-through rate significantly.
The SEO Impact
It can never be said enough: Use Your Keywords Wisely.
One of the best SEO moves you can make when writing the metadata title and description is to include your main target keyword. Ideally that main target keyword should be toward the beginning of your title and naturally within the description.
- Search engines look for relevance. Keywords in your metadata help Google understand what your page is about and decide where it should rank in results.
- Users scan for relevance. When someone searches for something and sees those exact words or phrases bolded in your listing, they’re more likely to click.
As much as we want these metadata tags to be perfect and SEO focus, be absolutely sure to never “stuff” keywords or make your metadata sound robotic. The goal is to balance clarity and optimization with natural, human-friendly language.
Small Tags, Big Impact
Rest assured, you don’t need a degree in coding or years of SEO experience to use the metadata title and description effectively. With WordPress and Yoast, adding both to a page is easy. Be sure to take the time to set both the title and description. The 60-character title and 160-character description do a lot to increase your website’s visibility and success. Spending a few moments writing great content for each can go a long way in helping your ideal clients find you online and convincing them to click the link.
