Being found in Google: titles, descriptions and headings
Want customers to find your website? A clear title, description and headings on each page already do a lot. Here is how to do it step by step.
You have built a website. Now you want people to find it. That does not have to be complicated. Three things do a lot: a good title, a short description and clear headings. You can change all of them yourself.
What Google reads on a page
Google reads your page and tries to understand what it is about. Then it shows the page to people who search for that. The clearer your page is, the easier this is. Making your site easy to find in Google is also called SEO.
The page title
The title is the blue line in the search results. It is the first thing a visitor sees. It also shows in the browser tab.
- Put the most important word first, for example what you do and where.
- Keep it short, about 60 characters. After that it is often cut off.
- Give every page its own title.
- Add your business name at the end.
An example for a hairdresser in Zwolle: Hairdresser in Zwolle for women and men | Example Salon. You see at once what you get and where.
The description under the title
The description is the short text under the title in the search results. Google does not always use it, but it helps people choose. Think of it as a short invitation to click.
- Write 1 or 2 sentences, about 150 characters.
- Say what the visitor will find on the page.
- Mention something concrete, such as a service, a town or opening hours.
- Write for people, not for Google. No list of keywords.
Headings that organise the page
Headings give your text a structure. Visitors scan a page first. Google does too. So use headings in the right way.
- Each page has one main heading. That is the subject of the page.
- Below it, use subheadings for the parts of your story.
- Let the heading say what is in the section. So Our prices is better than Have a look here.
- Do not use a heading just to make text bigger. Use it to organise.
Choose your customer's words
Think about how a customer searches. A customer may type plumber for leak, not installation company for sanitary solutions. Use those everyday words in your title, description and headings. Name your town too, if you work locally.
Common mistakes
- All pages have the same title.
- The title is only your business name.
- The description is missing or too long.
- There are no headings on the page, only one big block of text.
- You repeat the same words again and again. It reads badly and does not help.
A quick check for each page
Go through your pages with these questions. If it takes 5 minutes per page, that is time well spent.
- Does the title say what the page is about?
- Is the description clear and short?
- Is there one main heading?
- Are the subheadings in a logical order?
- Would a new visitor want to click after reading the title?
Keep in mind that it takes a while before Google picks up your changes. That can be days to weeks. Keep improving your texts and look now and then at how your pages appear in the search results.
Want to put this into practice? Try Qsite and change the title, description and headings of your own website at your own pace.