What is a SERP snippet?
SERP stands for search engine results page. A snippet is a single result on it: the site name and favicon, the URL shown as a breadcrumb, a blue title link, and a short description underneath.
Google builds the title link mostly from your page's title tag and the description mostly from your meta description, but it can use other text from the page for either. The preview shows the version built from your tags.
How long should a title tag be?
Google doesn't publish a character limit. On desktop it truncates titles at roughly 600 pixels, which works out to about 50 to 60 characters of ordinary text. That's why the common advice is to keep titles under 60 characters.
Character counts are only a proxy. Capital letters, W and M take up more room than i, l and t, so measure the width when you're close to the limit, which is what this tool does.
How long should a meta description be?
Again, there's no official limit. Desktop descriptions usually show up to about 920 pixels, roughly 150 to 160 characters, across two lines. Mobile results can show a little more or less depending on the device.
Aim for one or two clear sentences of 120 to 160 characters, with the most important information first, so a cut-off loses nothing that matters.
Why Google rewrites titles and descriptions
Google may show a different title or description from the one you wrote. It rewrites titles that are too long, stuffed with keywords, the same across many pages, or a poor match for what the page is about. It often picks different description text to better match the specific search.
You can't switch this off, but you can make it less likely: write a unique, accurate title for every page, match the main heading, and write a description that genuinely summarises the page.
How to write a title that gets clicks
A good title tells the searcher, in a glance, that this result answers their search better than the nine around it.
- 1Put the main keyword near the start
- 2Say what the reader gets: a guide, a list, a tool, a price
- 3Add a specific detail that sets it apart, like a number or the year if you'll keep it updated
- 4Put your brand at the end, if at all
- 5Keep each title unique across your site
How to write a meta description that gets clicks
Meta descriptions are not a ranking factor, but they shape whether people click. Summarise what's on the page, include the words people search for (Google bolds terms that match the query), and end with a reason to click.
Don't repeat the title, don't stuff keywords, and don't promise something the page doesn't deliver: a click that bounces straight back helps nobody.
Does the preview show mobile results?
It shows a desktop result, which is the stricter of the two for titles. Mobile results use a narrower column and wrap the title over more lines, so a title that fits on desktop usually fits on mobile too. Treat both limits as approximations: Google changes its layout regularly.