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All lessons in HTML Basics for Beginners Lesson 9.1 of 34

Module 1: Introduction to HTML

  1. 1.1What is HTML?
  2. 1.2How websites work: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
  3. 1.3HTML elements, tags, and attributes
  4. 1.4Setting up your first HTML file

Module 2: HTML Document Structure

  1. 2.1The basic HTML document
  2. 2.2DOCTYPE, html, head, and body explained
  3. 2.3The page title and metadata
  4. 2.4Writing your first webpage

Module 3: Text and Content Elements

  1. 3.1HTML headings: h1 to h6
  2. 3.2Paragraphs and line breaks
  3. 3.3Bold, emphasis, and text formatting
  4. 3.4Ordered and unordered lists

Module 4: Links and Navigation

  1. 4.1Creating links with the a tag
  2. 4.2Relative URLs and absolute URLs
  3. 4.3Linking to sections within a page
  4. 4.4Building basic website navigation

Module 5: Images and Embedded Content

  1. 5.1Adding images with the img tag
  2. 5.2Image paths and file locations
  3. 5.3Alternative text and image accessibility
  4. 5.4Embedding videos and external content

Module 6: Tables and Data

  1. 6.1Creating HTML tables
  2. 6.2Table rows, headers, and cells
  3. 6.3Organizing tabular data accessibly

Module 7: Forms and User Input

  1. 7.1Understanding HTML forms
  2. 7.2Text fields, email fields, and text areas
  3. 7.3Labels, buttons, and required fields
  4. 7.4Basic form structure and submission

Module 8: Semantic HTML and Accessibility

  1. 8.1What is semantic HTML?
  2. 8.2header, nav, main, section, and footer
  3. 8.3Using HTML to improve accessibility

Module 9: HTML for SEO

  1. 9.1HTML title tags and meta descriptions
  2. 9.2Heading hierarchy and content structure
  3. 9.3Canonical links, robots directives, and basic metadata

Module 10: Practice Project and Validation

  1. 10.1Build a simple HTML website

HTML title tags and meta descriptions

Your roadmap for this lesson

  • How title tags show in search results
  • Writing a title: keyword, value, brand
  • Writing a meta description that earns clicks
  • Why Google rewrites titles and snippets

Short answer

The title tag is the clickable headline in Google results and one of the strongest on-page SEO signals. Put the main keyword near the start, add a reason to click, and end with your brand, in about 50 to 60 characters. The meta description is a 120 to 160 character summary that Google may show below the title. It does not affect rankings directly, but it can raise your click-through rate.

<title>Pili Tart Delivery in Legazpi | Same Day | Mayon Bakeshop</title>

Google shows the title as the blue link in the SERP, the search engine results page. Google measures the space in pixels, around 600 pixels on desktop, so wide letters like W and M fill it faster than i and l.

A simple title formula

Main keyword + value or detail + brand

WeakBetter
HomePili Tart Delivery in Legazpi | Mayon Bakeshop
ServicesBookkeeping for Small Businesses in Naga | Reyes VA
Mayon Bakeshop | Mayon Bakeshop | Pili | Pili Tarts | AlbayFresh Pili Tarts, Delivered in Albay | Mayon Bakeshop

Each page needs a unique title that matches what the page is about and what people search for.

Writing a meta description

<meta name="description" content="Order fresh pili tarts in Legazpi with same day delivery. ₱25 per piece, boxes of 12, cash on delivery or GCash.">
  • Summarize the page in one or two sentences.
  • Include the main keyword naturally. Google bolds matching words.
  • Add details that make people click: price, location, payment options, delivery time.
  • Stay around 120 to 160 characters so it is not cut off.

Why Google rewrites them

Google sometimes replaces your title or description with text from the page, often your h1 or a paragraph, when it thinks that better matches the search. This happens more when titles are too long, stuffed with keywords, or do not match the page content. Clear, honest titles that match the h1 get rewritten less.

Try it: write a SERP snippet

Write a title under 60 characters and a description between 120 and 160 characters for a Naga City dental clinic page about teeth cleaning.

Live preview

Quick quiz

1. Where should the main keyword go in a title?
2. Does the meta description directly affect rankings?
3. How does Google measure title length?
4. Why might Google rewrite a title?

Common mistakes

  • Same title on every page. Duplicate titles compete and confuse.
  • Keyword stuffing. Repeated keywords look spammy and get rewritten.
  • Empty meta descriptions. Google picks random text instead.

Your action

Tick each item when you can do it. Your progress saves on this device.

Key terms

Title tag
The <title> element shown as the headline in search results.
Meta description
A page summary that may appear in search snippets.
SERP
Search engine results page.
Snippet
The title, URL, and description shown for a result.
Click-through rate
The share of people who click after seeing a result.

Questions beginners ask

Where do I edit titles in WordPress?

SEO plugins like Yoast or Rank Math add title and description fields under each post.

Should the title include the city?

Yes, for local businesses, if people search with the city name.

How do I check my snippet?

Search site:yourdomain.com on Google, or use the title tool on our SEO course.

Related lessons

Need a website built or fixed while you practice? The team at Remar Digital can help.