I spend more time on a title than on any other line in a post. It is the only part most people ever see. The meta description comes second. This post covers how I write both, with the rules I actually follow.
The title is a promise
A title tells the reader what they will get. If the post does not deliver it, they leave, and they trust me less next time.
So I write the title after the post, not before. Once the draft is done I know what it really delivers. Then I describe that in as few words as I can.
My rules for a title
I check every title against the same short list:
- It says what the post is about in plain words.
- It contains the main phrase a person would search for.
- It is short enough to show in full on a results page. I aim for under sixty characters.
- It makes one promise, not two.
I avoid titles that tease. “You will not believe this mistake” tells the reader nothing. “Why most blogs stop after ten posts” tells them exactly what is inside.
I write several, then choose
My first title is rarely my best. I write five versions of every title and compare them.
Usually the winner is the simplest one. When I cannot choose, I ask which one I would click myself if I knew nothing about the post. This is also why Sastras gives me a few title options with each draft. Choosing is faster than inventing.
What a meta description does
The meta description is the short text under the title on a results page. A search engine may rewrite it, but it often uses mine when mine fits the search.
It does not help me rank on its own. Its job is to earn the click. I treat it as a two-line advert for the post.
My rules for a meta description
I keep it to about one hundred and fifty characters, so it is not cut off. Inside that space I do three things. I state the problem. I say what the post offers. I use the main phrase once, in a natural way. Finding that phrase is the subject of keyword research for beginners.
I write it as a full sentence or two, in my normal voice. A list of keywords is not a description. It reads like spam and nobody clicks it.
The slug matters too
The slug is the last part of the web address. I keep it short, lowercase and made of real words joined by hyphens.
I do not change a slug after publishing. Changing it breaks every link that points to the post, including my own internal links.
What I would do first
Open your five most recent posts and read only the titles. For each one, ask whether a stranger would know what the post delivers. Rewrite any title that fails. It costs a few minutes and helps every future visitor.