How to Write Product Page Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

The title tag has a few purposes:

• It creates a clickable, readable link in the search results
• It is read by search engines to understand what your page is about
• It displays the name of the page in the browser tab 

1. Use Keywords in Your Product Page Title tags

Title tags are a great way to work in your keywords. It’s one of the best times to tell Google exactly what your product is.

If you can find a synonym keyword and you can also fit it into the title tag, use it as well!

2. Make Your Product Page Title Tag the Right Length

You get 60 characters for a title tag. If you write anything longer, the tag may be cut off on the search engine results page. The search engines will still be able to read it, but it will look unprofessional to your human customers if it’s cut off at an awkward spot.

You can use our tool to check the length of your title tags. 

Note: Google sometimes changes these limits. 

3. Describe Your Product in As Much Details As Possible

You want your customer to know exactly which product and brand they are about to click on, plus know its materials, color and/or size if there is only one variation of the product available. If there are multiple variations, you can write something like sizes XS-XXL and indicate there are various colors or materials.

Example Product Title Tag #1 – Cereal Containers

Here’s the title tag for an airtight cereal container from the Lifewit store. 

Airtight Cereal Container with Lids – Lifewit – Lifewitstore

What We Like About This Title Tag

It’s very descriptive. You get the keyword: airtight cereal container with lids as well as the name of the e-commerce site (which is the same as the brand). If someone wanted to buy cereal containers, they’ll know right where to look. 

What Could Be Improved About This Title Tag

This product title tag has wasted valuable real estate on stating the name of their store twice.

Instead, Lifewit could have used a synonym for cereal container. Some brief keyword research says that “cereal dispenser” is a related keyword that gets a lot of search volume, so they’d do even better to write something like this:

Airtight Cereal Container with Lids | Cereal Dispenser | Lifewit 

If the brand were different that the store name, we’d add the brand and if there wasn’t room, drop the store name.

Note: adding the name of your shop is just fine, just don’t do it more than once. 

Example Product Title Tag #2 – Closet Organizers

Modular closet organizer used in the title tag below is too broad. What is it made of? How big are the basic pieces it mentions?

Closetmaid did a little better by including the material and dimensions, but it didn’t say that it is a closet organizer even though we can see that it’s in the product category ‘wood closet organizers’ based on the URL line in the screenshot below.

The best title tag for them would be: 16″ x 48″ Solid Wood Shelf Closet Organizer | ClosetMaid

Our re-write incorporates buyer intent. By the time someone has measured their closet they’re ready to buy something.

This is no guarantee customers will buy your solution. They might want a different color or configuration…but it is a guarantee that you’re showing them exactly what they need to find when they need to find it. 

How to Write Product Page Meta Descriptions

First, a primer on what meta descriptions are meant to accomplish.

Meta descriptions describe the page to search engines. They’re also the text that users see when they scan through the search results. 

The text appears right under the title tag. 

All of the words in bold are keywords matching the user’s search. As you can see, it’s an excellent opportunity to communicate that this product is a good match for the solution the user has been searching for. 

Here’s how to make your meta descriptions work well for you. 

1. Add Keywords To Product Page Meta Descriptions

Keywords are the whole point of the exercise, so don’t miss the opportunity to use them. Buyer intent keywords, in particular are useful. These are keywords that signal that the person running the search is actively looking to make a purchase and intends to do so almost as soon as they find the right product. 

Your research can tell you what real buyers are typing in, and it needs to be done. Don’t get stuck using “Closet Cubes” when people are typing in “Cube Organizers” instead, unless you’re making a strategic decision to go after “Closet Cubes” simply because there’s less competition, or because you have a brick and mortar store to go with your e-commerce site, and that’s how the locals speak.  

2. Use Synonyms in Your Product Page Meta Descriptions

Find these synonyms during keyword research. You might end up using “Cube Organizers” and “Closet Cubes!”

3. Make Meta Descriptions Unique

Every meta description should be different, even if you are writing about very similar products.

4. Make Sure Your Product Meta Description Is the Right Length

You get 160 characters for your meta description. You can use our tool to check the length. 

Note: Google sometimes changes these limits. 

5. Treat Meta Descriptions Like Ads

Your meta description has to entice the user to click on the page. You don’t have a lot of space, but you can still make the most of it.

The principles of good ad copy are:

• Provide product details.
• Lead with benefits, not features. What’s in it for me?
• Include a call to action, such as “Order now.” 
• Add a special offer like 15% off, if applicable. 

Treat this ad space with respect, just like you would treat the space buying a text ad on Google Ads. Don’t waste a single word if you can help it. 

Example Product Page Meta Descriptions

Let’s look at some examples.

Think of a meta description as a billboard. Customers will glance over it about that fast, and yet it still has a lot of power to get them where you want them to be. 

The copy on this one is a little clunky, but they did a good job listing the benefits: you won’t get dust in your cups. They wasted some space that they could have devoted to other copy, though. 

Elvins would have done better here to write something like this:

Keep your cups organized and keep them dust-free with these handy cup hangers. The key to a tidy kitchen! Order yours today and get free shipping!

Benefits:

• Keep cups organized 
• Keep cups dust free
• Keep the kitchen tidy

The call to action is, of course: Order yours today.

And the special offer is free shipping. Be careful with special offers since you want to be sure you can honor any special offer in a meta description.

Summary of How to Write Product Page Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

Remember these principles to write outstanding product page title tags and meta descriptions every time.

• Use buyer intent keywords in both title tags and meta descriptions.
• Use synonyms for your keywords when you have the real estate to do so. 
• Make all titles tags and meta descriptions unique.
• Provide as much detail as possible in the title tag space available including colors, brands, sizes, materials.
• Write meta descriptions like ads, with benefits and a call to action.
• Watch the length of both title tags and meta descriptions. Anything in excess of Google’s limits and your title tag and description gets cut off. That won’t bother the robots, but it will bother the humans with credit cards. 

It’s easy to overlook title tags and meta descriptions, but if you treat them with respect you’ll see big payoffs in terms of your visibility, your ability to get targeted traffic to your site, and in terms of conversions. They are well worth your time and attention on every page of your site.