What Are Meta Titles and Descriptions? A Simple Guide

When your site appears in Google, the blue clickable headline and grey summary beneath it are your meta title and meta description. They decide whether people click. Here's how they work.

Meta title

This is the headline in search results. Make it clear, include what you offer and your location, and keep it under about 60 characters so it doesn't get cut off.

Meta description

This is the short summary below the title. Use it to sell the click — explain the benefit and add a reason to visit. Aim for around 150 characters.

Best practices

• Give every page a unique title and description.
• Write for humans first, keywords second.
• Include the words customers actually search for.

Good builders let you set these for each page in a simple SEO settings panel.

Want a site that already handles hosting, SSL, mobile, and SEO basics for you? Build it free with Site9 — a professional, search-ready website on your own domain, no code required.