Check your title tags and meta descriptions

SiteCurl checks two key meta tags on every page: the title tag and the meta description. For title tags, it verifies the tag exists and that its length falls between 30 and 60 characters. For meta descriptions, it checks for presence and a length between 70 and 160 characters.

Tags that are too short may not convey enough information to searchers. Tags that are too long get cut off in search results, hiding your key message. SiteCurl flags both extremes so you can write tags that display fully.

The check runs on every page in your scan, not just the home page. This catches pages that were added without proper tags, or pages where a CMS template left the defaults in place.

Open Google and search for anything. Every result you see has two visible text elements: the blue title link and the gray description below it. Those come from the title tag and meta description in your HTML. If those tags are missing, Google picks text from your page on its own. The result is usually a sentence fragment that starts mid-paragraph or a navigation label that tells the searcher nothing.

The title tag is especially important because Google uses it as the clickable link. A title that reads 'Home' or 'Untitled' or gets cut off mid-word does not invite clicks. A title that reads 'Free SEO Audit for Small Business Sites' tells the searcher exactly what they will find. The difference in click-through rate between a good title and a bad one can be 2x or more.

Meta descriptions do not affect rankings directly. But Google bolds the words in your description that match the search query. A description that includes the right words stands out visually on the results page, pulling more clicks from the same position.

The problem compounds on larger sites. A 50-page site might have 10 pages with missing descriptions and 5 pages with titles over 60 characters. Each one is a missed chance to control how your page appears in search.

Title tags are the first thing people see in search results. A missing title means search engines pick one for you, often poorly. A title that gets cut off loses its impact. The meta description appears below the title and directly affects whether someone clicks through to your page.

Well-written meta tags do not change your ranking directly, but they change your click-through rate. Higher CTR means more traffic from the same ranking position. For pages that already rank, fixing meta tags is one of the fastest ways to get more visitors.

Google sometimes rewrites your title tag if it thinks a better version exists on your page. This happens more often when your title is too long, stuffed with keywords, or does not match the page content. Writing a concise, accurate title reduces the chance Google overrides it.

SaaS companies with dozens of feature pages often have the worst meta tag coverage. Each page was built by a different person at a different time. Some have custom titles. Others still say 'Page Title' or repeat the site name with no page-specific text.

E-commerce sites have a different problem: auto-generated titles. A product title like 'Blue Widget Model X-500 SKU-12345' is accurate but not clickable. Writing titles that describe the benefit rather than the SKU raises click-through rates.

Bloggers and content sites lose the most from missing meta descriptions. A blog post with no description forces Google to pull a random sentence from the post. That sentence is rarely the best pitch for why someone should click.

Step 1: Fix missing title tags first. Pages with no title tag are the most urgent. Add a unique title to every page that describes what the page offers. Keep it between 30 and 60 characters. Put the most important words first.

Step 2: Trim titles that are too long. Titles over 60 characters get cut off with an ellipsis in search results. Rewrite them to fit. Cut filler words like 'the best' or 'top-rated' and lead with the specific topic.

Step 3: Add meta descriptions to every page. Write a clear summary of what the page offers in 70 to 160 characters. Include a reason to click: a benefit, a number, or a specific detail that sets your page apart from others in search results.

Step 4: Check your CMS settings. WordPress, Shopify, and Squarespace all have fields for title and description on every page. In WordPress, Yoast or Rank Math adds these fields below the editor. In Shopify, they are under 'Search engine listing preview' at the bottom of each page editor.

Step 5: Avoid keyword stuffing. Repeating the same keyword three times in a title does not help. Write for the person reading the search result, not for the algorithm.

Using the same title on every page. Some CMS templates use the site name as the title for all pages. Every page needs its own title that describes its specific content. Duplicate titles confuse search engines about which page to show.

Writing descriptions that are too vague. 'We offer great services for your business' could describe any site. Write descriptions that are specific to the page. Mention what the visitor will find, not what you hope they will think.

Forgetting to check after publishing. Many CMS platforms let you set a title and description before publishing, but template updates or plugin changes can overwrite them. After any site-wide update, scan your pages to confirm the tags are still there.

Putting the brand name first. 'SiteCurl | Free SEO Audit' wastes the most visible characters on the brand. Lead with the topic: 'Free SEO Audit for Your Website | SiteCurl' tells searchers what they get before they see who offers it.

After updating your tags, run another SiteCurl scan. The findings count for meta tag issues should drop. You can also check individual pages by viewing the page source in your browser (Ctrl+U or Cmd+Option+U) and searching for <title> and <meta name="description">.

To preview how your page will look in Google, paste the URL into Google's Rich Results Test or search for site:yoursite.com/page to see the live listing. If Google rewrote your title, consider making your title more concise and closer to the page content.