How to Create Meta Tags for SEO (With Examples)
Meta tags control how your pages appear in search results and social media feeds. A well-crafted title tag and meta description can dramatically improve click-through rates from Google, while Open Graph tags determine how your content looks when shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
- Write effective title tags, meta descriptions, Open Graph tags, and Twitter Cards.
- The Title Tag.
- The Meta Description.
- Covers open graph tags (facebook & linkedin).
- Covers twitter card tags.
The Title Tag
The title tag is the single most important on-page SEO element. It appears as the clickable headline in search results and in the browser tab. Keep it under 60 characters to avoid truncation. Place your primary keyword near the beginning. Make it compelling — it's your ad headline in search results.
Format: Primary Keyword — Value Proposition | Brand. Avoid keyword stuffing (repeating the same keyword multiple times) and all-caps.
The Meta Description
The meta description appears below the title in search results. Google sometimes overrides it with page content, but a well-written description increases click-through rate. Keep it between 120–155 characters. Include your target keyword naturally (Google bolds matching terms). Make it actionable — describe what the user gets by clicking.
Open Graph Tags (Facebook & LinkedIn)
Open Graph tags control how your page appears when shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other platforms:
background-size animation or @property registered custom properties instead.The og:image should be 1200×630 pixels for optimal display. Without Open Graph tags, platforms guess from page content — and usually guess poorly.
Twitter Card Tags
Twitter uses its own meta tags, falling back to Open Graph if they're missing:
Use summary_large_image for a prominent image card or summary for a smaller thumbnail card. The Meta Tag Preview tool shows exactly how your page will appear on Google, Facebook, and Twitter before you publish.
Robots and Canonical Tags
The robots meta tag controls crawler behavior: (default, usually not needed) or for pages that shouldn't appear in search results. The canonical tag prevents duplicate content issues by specifying the preferred URL: . Always set a canonical on every page — it protects against URL parameter variations and www/non-www duplicates.