Title tags and meta descriptions that do not sound like spam

Short answer: Titles and meta descriptions should read like honest signposts for humans; keyword stuffing hurts trust and often hurts clicks.

Google often rewrites titles and descriptions, but what you supply still matters—especially for social shares and as a starting point for what appears in results.

Title tags: practical rules

• Front-load meaning: lead with the specific service or topic, then brand if space allows.
• One intent per page: if the title promises “pricing”, the page should answer pricing early.
• Avoid all-caps and repeated synonyms—they look like spam in NZ results too.

Meta descriptions are ad copy, not a ranking pile-on

Write 1–2 plain sentences: who it is for, what they get, and a soft call to action. If you cram15 variants of “Auckland”, you may reduce clicks even if rankings stay flat.

When pages compete for the same intent

If two URLs target the same query, consolidate or differentiate sharply—different titles for near-identical pages train users (and search engines) to ignore you.

Frequently asked questions