Titles, descriptions and headings
The elements searchers notice straight away, and the structure that helps engines understand a page.
- Lesson
- 3/7
- Reading time
- 8 min
- Sections
- 4
- Through the course
- 43%
Title tag
The title is the clickable headline in results. Keep it roughly 30–60 characters so it isn't cut off, lead with the main topic, make it unique per page and write it for people. Stuffing keywords makes it less likely to be clicked.
Meta description
Descriptions don't directly change rankings, but a clear one (about 70–160 characters) that answers "why this page?" improves click-through. Engines may rewrite it when another passage matches the query better.
Headings
- One H1 that states what the page is about.
- H2s for the main sections on longer pages, H3s beneath them, in order.
- Question-style headings followed by a concise answer help both readers and answer engines.
Check your understanding
Which heading structure is best for a long service page?
Content that satisfies
Cover what the searcher needs to finish their task. Compare your page with those already ranking: which questions do they answer that you don't? Depth beats length for its own sake.
Lesson 3 of 7
Titles, descriptions and headings