When you search on Google, you see a blue title for each result. That is the meta title of that page. It is by far the most important piece of SEO text there is, for two reasons:
- Google uses the meta title as a strong signal to work out what your page is about
- The meta title decides whether someone actually clicks on your result
What is the ideal length?
- 50 to 60 characters: the perfect length. Fully visible on all devices.
- Under 30 characters: too short. You miss out on room for keywords.
- Over 65 characters: Google cuts it off. Important words disappear.
What should it include?
A good meta title contains:
- The main keyword at the front: if someone searches for "bakery Utrecht", put 'Bakery Utrecht' at the start
- A reason to click: a USP, an action or a concrete benefit
- Your brand name at the end: as the sender, usually after a hyphen or a pipe
Examples of strong titles
- "Bakery Utrecht - Fresh bread every morning | Broodhuis"
- "SEO Specialist Arnhem: 4 years of experience | Hendriks Digital"
- "Wedding venue with waterfront terrace in Schuytgraaf | Fortvier"
What makes a title bad?
- Just your company name: "Fortvier" tells Google and the searcher nothing
- Every page has the same title: Google thinks it is duplicate content
- Keyword stuffing: "Wedding venue Arnhem, Wedding Arnhem, Party venue Arnhem, Wedding hall Arnhem" reads unnaturally and Google penalizes it
Where do you set it?
WordPress with an SEO plugin (Yoast, Rank Math): the edit screen of every page has a 'SEO title' field. Fill it in, save, done. You can also adjust the default template for new pages. Without a plugin: the HTML has a <title> tag in the head.