How Long Should a Meta Description Be? Title Tags and Meta Descriptions for Therapy Websites
Google sets no length limit but cuts snippets to fit the screen. How long a therapy site's meta description and title should be, and why Google rewrites them.
13 min read
Google sets no length limit for a meta description. It cuts the snippet to fit the searcher’s screen, so the end of a long description often goes unseen. Write about 150 characters and put what a prospective client needs first: what you treat, where, the fee and how to book. Title tags work the same way, at about 60 characters.
Choosing the phrase each page should be written around comes before any of this, and that is covered in SEO keywords for therapists.
Character counts are where most advice stops. The harder questions for a therapy practice come next: why Google shows a sentence you never wrote, how much of your title the practice name uses up, and which words your licensing board would object to. This guide answers them from Google’s documentation and the platforms’ help pages, then works through a six-page solo practice.
How Long Should a Meta Description Be?
A meta description has no maximum length in Google. Google’s snippet documentation says there is no limit on how long a meta description can be, but the snippet is truncated as needed, typically to fit the device width. Website platforms turn that into a number, and they disagree: Wix suggests 50 to 160 characters, Squarespace 50 to 300.
| Source | Meta description | Title tag |
|---|---|---|
| Google: snippets and title links | No limit; truncated as needed, typically to fit the device width | No limit; truncated as needed, typically to fit the device width |
| Wix Help Center | 50 to 160 characters; says Google usually trims around 160 | Under 60 characters; says search engines often trim longer titles |
| Squarespace Help Center | 50 to 300 characters, with a 400-character field limit; also says search engines cut descriptions off around 160 | SEO title field holds up to 100 characters |
Because the cut is made by screen width, not by a character count, no number guarantees the whole sentence shows. Word order matters more than length. If the first half already says what you treat, where you see clients and how to start, a cut costs the reader nothing. If it opens with “Welcome to our warm and caring practice”, the useful part is what disappears.
What Happens If a Meta Description Is Too Long?
A long meta description does not hurt the page’s position. Google has said it does not use the description meta tag in ranking. The cost falls on the reader: the end of the sentence may be cut off in the result, and whatever sits there, often the booking detail, may never be seen.
The ranking statement comes from Google’s 2009 post on meta tags: “Even though we sometimes use the description meta tag for the snippets we show, we still don’t use the description meta tag in our ranking.” Google’s current list of supported meta tags describes the description tag the same way: a short description of the page, used in the snippet “in some situations.”
So the meta description has one job: to get the right person to click. That is a reason to write it carefully, not a reason to skip it.
Why Does Google Show a Different Description Than the One I Wrote?
Google writes most snippets from the page itself. Its documentation says snippets are primarily created from page content, and that Google uses the meta description when it may describe the page more accurately. Snippets are also matched to each search, so one therapy page can show one sentence for a search about fees and another for a search about anxiety.
Squarespace’s own help page puts it in plain terms: what appears in search results “is mostly determined by Google’s technology,” and there is no way to ensure the description will be the same for every search. Three things make Google more likely to pass over the description you wrote, and all three are common on therapy sites:
- The same description on every page. Google’s guidance is that identical or similar descriptions on every page “aren’t helpful when individual pages appear in search results.” Many templates copy the homepage description onto every page until someone changes it.
- A string of keywords. Google says descriptions made of long strings of keywords don’t give users a clear idea of the page and “are less likely to be displayed as a snippet.” A line like “therapist, counselor, anxiety, depression, trauma, Columbus therapy” is that.
- A description of something the page does not say. If the description promises fees and the page never lists them, Google has better text to use.
Google also suggests a format that suits a practice well. Its example for a book page tags each fact and separates them: author, illustrator, price, length. For a fees page the same pattern reads: “Fee: $150 per 50-minute session. Insurance: out of network, superbill provided.” Those are the facts a person comparing therapists is looking for, which is the point.
Since Google so often uses your page text, the first paragraph of each page matters as much as the description. If your fees page opens with your philosophy of care, that paragraph is what Google has to work with when someone searches about cost. The guide to therapy website copywriting covers how to open a page with the answer.
How Long Should a Title Tag Be?
Google sets no limit on title tag length. Its title link documentation says the title link is truncated as needed, typically to fit the device width, and asks for titles that are descriptive and concise. Wix recommends under 60 characters because search engines often trim longer ones. Count your practice name inside that budget, since many platforms add it automatically.
That last point is where therapy sites lose most of their title. Squarespace builds the title Google sees from a title format, where %p is the page’s SEO title and %s is the site title. WordPress SEO plugins such as Yoast SEO use title templates the same way. Here is the arithmetic for a practice named Maple Street Counseling:
- Practice name: 23 characters. With a separator, “ | Maple Street Counseling” adds 26.
- That leaves 34 characters for the page subject if you want the full title at 60 or under.
- “Anxiety Therapy in Columbus, OH” is 31 characters, so the full title is 57. It fits.
- “Anxiety and Couples Therapy in Columbus, OH” is 43 characters, so the full title is 69, and the part most likely to be cut is your name.
Two habits fix this. Write the page subject first, so a cut removes the practice name rather than the thing you treat. And open a page in a browser tab before you publish: Squarespace shows the SEO title in the browser tab, so you can see the full title as it will be sent, practice name and all.
Why Did Google Change My Title?
Google rewrites a title when it judges the title tag a poor description of the page. It then draws on other sources, including the main visible title, the H1 and other headings, og:title, and the text of links pointing to the page. Make the title tag and the main heading agree, so every source points the same way.
Google’s title link documentation names the problems it corrects. Each one has a familiar therapy-site version:
| Problem Google names | How it shows up on a therapy site | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Half-empty titles | A page whose title is only “| Maple Street Counseling” because the SEO title field was left blank | Fill in the page subject for every page |
| Obsolete titles | “Spring Anxiety Group” still in the title in October | Update the title when the page changes, or leave dates out |
| Inaccurate titles | A title listing six specialties on a page about one | Title the page for what it actually covers |
| Micro-boilerplate titles | Four service pages all titled “Services | Maple Street Counseling” | Give each page its own subject |
| No clear main title | A hero banner with a large tagline (“You don’t have to do this alone”) above a smaller line that names the service | Put the service name in the first, most prominent heading |
The tagline case is the one most specific to this field. Google says it looks at the main visual title and large, prominent text, and suggests making the real title the most prominent text, for example in the first visible H1. A warm tagline in the biggest font tells Google the page is about the tagline.
After a fix, expect a wait. Google says it has to recrawl and reprocess the page, which may take a few days to a few weeks. Owners and full users of a Search Console property can ask Google to recrawl a page with the URL Inspection tool; Google notes that repeat requests for the same URL do not speed it up.
Where Do You Edit Title Tags and Meta Descriptions on Squarespace, Wix and WordPress?
Every common website builder has a per-page SEO field for the title and the description, plus a site-wide setting that fills in the rest. On Squarespace and Wix both live in the page’s SEO settings. On WordPress, an SEO plugin such as Yoast SEO adds the fields and the site-wide templates.
- Squarespace. In the Pages panel, hover over the page, click the gear icon, open the SEO tab, and fill in SEO Title and SEO Description. The homepage works differently: Squarespace says SEO titles aren’t available for homepages, so the homepage title comes from the homepage title format, and its description is the SEO site description in the Home tab of the Search appearance settings.
- Wix. In the editor, open Pages & Menu, click the More Actions icon next to the page, choose SEO basics, and fill in Title tag and Meta description, then publish.
- WordPress with Yoast SEO. Yoast’s help page puts the site-wide SEO title and meta description templates under Search appearance. Check those first: a blank page field means the template’s text is sent instead.
Do Meta Descriptions Still Matter?
Meta descriptions still matter for clicks, not for rankings. Google says it does not use the description meta tag in ranking and uses it for the snippet only some of the time. When it does, those two lines are the first thing a prospective client reads about your practice, before your website, your photo or your fee.
If time is short, Google’s advice is to write descriptions at least for the critical URLs, like the home page and popular pages. For a solo practice that means the homepage, the main service pages and the fees page.
The Ethics Rules That Apply to Your Title and Description
A title tag and meta description are advertising, so your ethics code applies to every character. APA Standard 5.01 counts paid or unpaid advertising and directory listings as public statements, and the ACA and NASW codes require accurate credentials and claims. The usual problems in these two lines are promised results, loose credentials and states where you are not licensed.
Here is how each rule lands on a title or description:
- Promised results. APA Standard 5.01(b) bars false, deceptive or fraudulent statements about the “results or degree of success” of your services, and NASW Standard 4.06(c) requires accurate representations of “results to be achieved.” “Overcome anxiety in eight sessions” makes a claim you would have to defend. “Anxiety therapy for adults, weekly 50-minute sessions” does not.
- Credentials. The ACA Code of Ethics requires credentials to be stated accurately in advertising (C.3.a), allows claiming only licenses that are current and in good standing (C.4.b), and bars using “Dr.” in a counseling context when the doctorate is not in counseling or a related field (C.4.d). Use the license abbreviation exactly as your board issues it.
- Where you can see clients. APA 5.01(b) also covers statements about your services. “Online therapy anywhere in the US” in a description is inaccurate if you are licensed in one state. Name the states.
- Client words. APA Standard 5.05, ACA C.3.b and NASW 4.07(b) restrict soliciting testimonials from current clients. Keep client quotes and “what clients say” lines out of descriptions, and describe your approach in your own words.
If you are an LMFT, read your association’s code the same way, and whatever your license, read your state board’s advertising rule as well.
Worked Example: Titles and Descriptions for a Six-Page Solo Practice
Maple Street Counseling is an invented solo practice in Columbus, Ohio: one LPC, adults and couples, $150 per 50-minute session, out of network, video sessions anywhere in Ohio. The platform adds “ | Maple Street Counseling” (26 characters) to each page title. Every count below is measured from the text itself.
| Page | Title field (full title length) | Meta description (length) |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Columbus Anxiety & Couples Therapy (60) | Therapy for anxiety and relationship stress in Columbus, OH, in person or by video anywhere in Ohio. $150 per 50-minute session. Book a free 15-minute call. (156) |
| Anxiety therapy | Anxiety Therapy in Columbus, OH (57) | Anxiety therapy for adults in Columbus, OH. Weekly 50-minute sessions, $150, in person or by video in Ohio. What the first session covers and how to book. (154) |
| Couples counseling | Couples Counseling in Columbus, OH (60) | Couples counseling in Columbus, OH for partners who keep having the same argument. 50 minutes, $150, evening times. How sessions work and how to book. (150) |
| Fees | Therapy Fees and Insurance (52) | Fee: $150 per 50-minute session. Insurance: out of network, superbill provided. Payment: card or HSA. Sliding scale: a few spots, ask on the first call. (152) |
| About | About Jordan Lee, LPC (47) | Jordan Lee is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Ohio who works with adults and couples on anxiety and relationship stress. Office in Columbus. (151) |
| Online therapy | Online Therapy Anywhere in Ohio (57) | Video therapy for adults anywhere in Ohio, where Jordan Lee is licensed. Same $150 fee as in-person sessions. What you need, privacy, and how to book. (150) |
Each description opens with what the page is for, states the fee or license in plain terms, promises no outcome, and appears on one page only. The fees description uses Google’s tagged-facts pattern, and the online therapy one names the only state where the counselor is licensed. With a longer practice name, shorten the page subject, not the facts.
A 30-Minute Title and Description Check You Can Do This Week
This needs a browser and a spreadsheet, nothing else. Start with the pages that matter most for bookings, then work outward.
- List your pages. Homepage, each service page, fees, about, contact, and any telehealth page.
- Record what each page sends. Open the page, view the source, and copy the text inside the title tag and the meta description into two columns.
- Count. In Google Sheets or Excel, =LEN(A2) gives the character count. Flag titles over 60 and descriptions over 160, then check whether the first half of each still makes sense on its own.
- Find the defaults. Flag blanks, any description that appears on more than one page, and any title where the practice name appears twice.
- Match the headings. Compare each title with the largest heading on that page. If they describe different things, change one of them.
- Read it as an ad. Cross out promised results, loosely stated credentials, states where you are not licensed, and client quotes.
- Publish and request a recrawl. Fix the homepage, main service page and fees page first, then request indexing for those URLs in Search Console. Check the results again in two to three weeks.
Titles and descriptions only matter for pages Google can crawl and index. If any of your pages are missing from search entirely, start with the technical SEO checklist for therapist websites. If you would rather have someone handle this alongside the rest of your site, SEO services for therapists lays out what that covers and costs.
FAQ
Should my meta description include my city? If you see clients in person, yes: the city is one of the first facts a local searcher checks. If you see clients only by video, name the states where you are licensed instead of a city.
Can two pages share a title tag? They should not. Google tells site owners to avoid repeated or boilerplate title text and lists it among the problems it corrects by writing its own title. Give each page a title that names what that page alone is about.
Do I still need a meta keywords tag? No. Google says the keywords meta tag is not used by Google Search and has no effect on indexing or ranking. You can leave the field empty.
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