How to fix your page title and meta description
Your title is the headline Google shows for your site and the description is the pitch under it. Here's how to write both and where to set them on common platforms.
Short answer: every page needs a <title> that says what you do and where, such as “Smith Plumbing — Emergency Plumber in Yonkers, NY”, with the important words in the first 60 characters. It also needs a meta description: one or two sentences, roughly 120 to 160 characters, that tell a searcher why to click.
Both live in the page's <head>. On WordPress, Wix, Squarespace and Shopify you set them in an SEO field, with no code to edit.
The title is the blue headline in a Google result and the text on the browser tab. The meta description is the short paragraph Google often shows under it. Google writes the final result itself and can rewrite either one (Google: title links, Google: snippets). Still, what you write is the version it starts from, and a clear one is usually kept. The checker reads the title and description on your homepage.
The page has no title
Fix soon Shown in the checker's Search (SEO) tab as “No page title”.
The checker flags this when the page's <head> has no <title> element, or has one that's empty.
Why it matters
Without a title, Google has to build your headline from other text on the page or show the address. The browser tab and any bookmark show the bare URL. Google's own guidance starts with “make sure every page on your site has a title specified in the <title> element”.
How to fix it
A reliable pattern for a homepage is Business name — main service in Town, ST, for example Smith Plumbing — Emergency Plumber in Yonkers, NY. Service pages can lead with the service: Water Heater Repair in Yonkers, NY | Smith Plumbing. Give every page its own title.
<head>
<title>Smith Plumbing — Emergency Plumber in Yonkers, NY</title>
</head>WordPress
Most themes build the homepage title from Settings → General → Site Title and Tagline. To write each page's title yourself, install an SEO plugin (the well-known ones are free for this) and fill in its “SEO title” field below the page editor. If the title is still missing, the theme probably doesn't support WordPress's title feature. That's one to raise with whoever built the theme.
Wix, Squarespace and Shopify
Wix and Squarespace both have an SEO section in each page's settings with a title field. Shopify sets the homepage title under Online Store → Preferences, and each product, collection and page has a “Search engine listing” section at the bottom of its editor.
Hand-coded or static sites
Add the <title> element inside <head> on every page (MDN: the title element).
How to check it's fixed
Look at the browser tab: it should show your new title, not the address. Or right-click the page, choose View page source and search for <title. Then run the website checker again.
The title is a placeholder like “Home”
Fix soon Shown in the checker's Search (SEO) tab as “Title reads “Home”” (or whatever your title says).
The checker flags titles shorter than 6 characters, and titles that are exactly a known default: “Home”, “Home Page”, “Welcome”, “Index”, “Untitled”, “Untitled Document”, “New Page”, “My Site”, “My Website”, “Website”, “Site Title”, “My Blog”, “Just another WordPress site” or “Web page under construction”.
Why it matters
A title of “Home” tells a searcher nothing about who you are. Google specifically advises against vague titles like “Home” for a homepage. When ten results sit on a page, the one that names the service and the town is the one people pick. “Just another WordPress site” was WordPress's default tagline for years, and sites still carry it.
How to fix it
Replace it using the same steps as for a missing title. On WordPress, also open Settings → General and replace or clear the Tagline, because many themes add it to the homepage title. On a page builder, check that the homepage isn't still named “Home” in the SEO field. The navigation label can stay “Home”, because only the SEO title appears in search.
How to check it's fixed
Check the browser tab, then run the checker again. Google can take days or weeks to recrawl and update the search result itself.
The title is very long
Minor Shown in the checker's Search (SEO) tab as “Title is 92 characters” (with your count).
The checker flags titles over 75 characters. Google has no fixed character limit. It cuts the title link to fit the width of the screen. The checker treats about 60 characters as the practical space, and allows some slack so it only flags titles that are clearly too long.
Why it matters and how to fix it
Anything past the cut is never seen, and Google warns that long, repetitive titles can look spammy (keyword stuffing). Put the business name and main service first. Drop lists of every town or service you cover, slogans, and repeated words. Those belong on the page itself.
Too long (96): Smith Plumbing | Plumber | Plumbing Services | Drain Cleaning | Water Heaters | Yonkers NY Plumber
Better (49): Smith Plumbing — Emergency Plumber in Yonkers, NYHow to check it's fixed
Count the characters (any word processor will), or run the checker again: the finding disappears once the title is 75 characters or fewer.
The page has no meta description
Fix soon Shown in the checker's Search (SEO) tab as “No meta description”.
The checker flags this when there's no <meta name="description"> tag in the <head>, or its content is empty.
Why it matters
Google builds snippets mainly from the page's content. It uses the meta description when that describes the page better, so without one it picks a fragment of text itself, often a menu, a cookie notice or a half sentence. A good description is your chance to pitch the click: what you do, where, and why you.
How to fix it
Write one or two plain sentences, about 120 to 160 characters, that name the service, the area and a concrete reason to choose you. Google recommends a unique description for each page instead of one repeated across the site.
<meta name="description" content="Licensed plumbers in Yonkers and southern Westchester. Same-day repairs, water heaters and drain cleaning. Call 7 days a week.">- WordPress: core WordPress has no description field. An SEO plugin adds a “Meta description” box below each page and post.
- Wix and Squarespace: use the description field in the page's SEO settings, next to the title.
- Shopify: set the homepage description under Online Store → Preferences, and each page's under “Search engine listing”.
Social networks often fall back on the same text when your link is shared. See social share previews to control that separately.
How to check it's fixed
View the page source and search for name="description", or run the checker again.
The meta description is very short
Minor Shown in the checker's Search (SEO) tab as “Description is 32 characters” (with your count).
The checker flags a description under 50 characters. Something like “Welcome to our website” or just the business name counts.
Why it matters and how to fix it
Google doesn't set a minimum or maximum length. It trims the snippet to fit the screen. A 30-character description just doesn't use the space, and Google is more likely to swap it for page text. Expand it to a full sentence or two using the pattern above: service, place, reason to call. Avoid stuffing it with keywords. Google's snippet guide suggests informative, specific details instead.
How to check it's fixed
Run the checker again. The finding clears once the description is 50 characters or longer, but aim for 120 or more.
Sources
- Google Search Central: Influencing your title links
- Google Search Central: How to write meta descriptions (snippets)
- Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide
- MDN: the <title> element
Common questions
How long should a title tag be?
A common rule of thumb is 50 to 60 characters, with the business name and main service first. Google has no hard limit; it truncates title links to fit the screen width, so what matters is that the opening words carry the meaning.
Why does Google show a different title than the one I wrote?
Google builds title links from several sources, including your title element and headings, and rewrites titles it finds vague, stuffed with keywords or out of step with the page. A short, specific title that matches the page's main heading is the one most likely to be kept.
Do meta descriptions affect rankings?
Google's documentation presents the meta description as a way to shape the snippet shown under your result, not as something that moves you up the page. Its job is to earn the click once you appear, which is still worth doing well.
Should every page have a different title and description?
Yes. Google advises distinct titles and descriptions for each page; identical ones make your pages hard to tell apart in results. Lead each with what that page offers, then the business name.
How long until Google shows my new title?
Google has to recrawl the page first, which can take from a few days to a few weeks. In Google Search Console you can use URL Inspection to request indexing of an important page sooner.
See what Google sees. The website checker reads your title, description, headings and structured data, along with security, speed and email settings, and links each problem to a fix like these. If you'd rather hand it off, Remidiy's local SEO service covers titles and descriptions for every page; get in touch.