Accurate Length of Title And Meta Description in Google?

accurate length of tilte and metatags

The length of the Title and Meta Description (Meta tags) are important elements for search engine optimization and user experience. Though it is not complicated, it takes time and effort to make it right to enhance the ranking.  Most Often, Google keeps changing the length of meta tags to be shown on the search engine result page, so every SEOs must be updated with an Accurate Length of Title And Meta Description in Google.

Title and meta tags do not directly help the website to rank better in search engine results. They do not help magically to position your website on top in search engine results. In 2020, Google has suggested not to focus on title and meta tags too much as Google chooses many of the snippets that are dynamic and not pulled from meta descriptions. 

However, it is also to be noted that title and meta tags decide your CTR which is one of the top-ranking factors. Google decides to show search results snippets based on the query of the searchers and the content of the page. 

Google notes that there is no limit on how long a meta tag can be, but the search result snippets are always shortened as needed, usually to fit the width of the device.  

Best Practices of Ideal Headline or Title Tag

Google recommends keeping the length of titles in Google at under or approximately 60 characters so that they can fit Google results. Titles that are longer than 60 characters may be shortened or rewritten by Google. Here are some SEO best practices for titles:

  • Make sure to choose a title that effectively communicates the topic of the content on the page within the limit of the title length. Describe the content of the page properly in the title. 
  • Make sure to create a unique title for your content to make Google understand that your page is different from others. 
  • The title should be short as well as informative. Use brief and relevant words to describe. Do not be too long or irrelevant. 
  • Keyword research can be your best option. Use high-value keywords in your title to improve the ranking of your page. Tools like title generators can also be used to get a good title idea. 

Accurate Length of Title And Meta Description in Google?

Best Practices of Ideal Meta Tag

Google notes that the length of the meta description should be between 150 and 160 characters including spaces. Here are some SEO best practices for meta tags:

  • Make sure to properly summarize your content within the limit of meta description length. Google notes that meta descriptions should be long enough to be displayed in the Google results. 
  • There should be a unique description for each page. Different description of meta tags for each page helps both Google and users, particularly in searches where visitors may introduce multiple pages on your domain.  
  • Keyword research can be useful in meta-tag descriptions. Make sure to include important keywords in your meta tags so that the content can rank better.  

Accurate Length of Title And Meta Description in Google?

Changes Made by Google

Google has made significant changes in the length of titles and meta tags on Google Search Results. Google shows more characters in both titles and meta tags in search results now compared to the previous weeks. The latest search is now 600 pixels wide which is 100 pixels wider compared to previous weeks. 

Desktop

 Google has increased the title length to 70-71 characters. Now you can add another word or two to your title, But if you are already satisfied with your current title, you can opt to add your site name at the end of the title for branding purposes.

But you need to keep traffic in check as the new changes can affect your SEO. The organic results may be lower or higher. The same thing has been done for meta descriptions also. Meta descriptions need to be within 150-160 characters because Google shortens snippets that are longer than 160 characters. Previously only two lines of meta description are displayed but now Google displays longer meta descriptions.

Mobile

The length of the titles to be displayed on mobile has also increased from 55-60 characters to 78 characters. So, the title on mobile search is 7-8 characters longer compared to desktop titles. For meta descriptions. It can be a maximum of 120 characters on mobile which is less than a desktop site. It would be worth optimizing your title tags on mobile if you have more visitors on mobile compared to desktop. 

Final Thoughts

Though Google adds more characters to title and meta tags for both desktop and mobile searches, the decision of increasing the title and meta tags is up to you. The new changes can be worthwhile, especially for those who were struggling with character restrictions. More characters mean you can add more high-quality keywords that can positively affect your ranking. But make sure you avoid spamming keywords. You should also prevent overusing keywords to avoid the Google penalty.     

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