Google Preview Tool

AI Overviews use title tags and meta descriptions when listing sources for a response. Similar to traditional search experiences, your title tag can influence whether users click-through or continue interacting with Google.

LLMs like ChatGPT use title tags and meta descriptions as a preview of your content, which can influence whether the LLM retrieves (or skips) your page.

Optimize title tags for AI search experiences by:

• Including a differentiator, like “500+ Reviews”
• Focusing on clarity, like “When to Plant Potatoes in PA”
• Limiting to 50-60 characters
• Ending with your brand name

Optimize meta descriptions for AI search experiences by:

• Answering the user’s primary search intent
• Using direct language
• Including a unique selling point
• Limiting to 155-160 characters

A title tag should be 50-60 characters. While search engines measure title tags using pixels (vs. characters), characters provide an easier guideline to follow.

A meta description should be 150-155 characters. Like title tags, search engines measure meta descriptions based on pixel count rather than character count — characters, however, provide an easier form of measurement for content creators.

Google rewrites title tags and meta descriptions to deliver a better user experience. A meta description, for example, is often rewritten to answer the user’s query, while title tags are rewritten to eliminate keyword stuffing.

You cannot prevent Google from rewriting title tags or meta descriptions. However, you can make it less likely by following these best practices for title tags and meta descriptions:

• DO limit title tags to 60 characters
• DO limit meta descriptions to 155 characters
• DO prioritize readability in your title tag and meta description
• DO use meta descriptions to answer the user’s intent (i.e. “When do U.S. passports expire? U.S. passports expire…”)
• DO format title tags according to the user’s intent (i.e. Use a listicle format for users researching places to visit in a specific state)
• DO use title tags to emphasize your URL’s unique edge (i.e. “The Top 10 Places to Visit in Massachusetts Based on 100 TripAdvisor Reviews”)

Your title tag and H1 heading do not have to be the same (it’s also okay if they are). In some instances, content creators will experiment with a different title tag and H1 heading to see which one Google uses in search results. This experimentation can help creators write a more compelling title tag that Google displays in the search results.

While there is no “penalty” for using title case vs. sentence case for title tags, using title case is often easier for the user to read. That’s why it’s recommended to use title case for title tags.