meta-tag-optimizer

name	meta-tag-optimizer
description	Optimizes title tags and meta descriptions for a batch of pages with character counts and CTR optimization. Use when improving your site's search appearance.
allowed-tools	Read Write Glob
metadata	{"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"}

Meta Tag Optimizer

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Optimize title tags and meta descriptions across multiple pages
• Improve click-through rates from search engine results pages
• Audit existing meta tags for length, keyword inclusion, and effectiveness
• Batch-write meta tags for new or under-optimized pages

DO NOT use this skill for on-page content optimization, technical SEO audits, or schema markup. This is specifically for title tags and meta descriptions.

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Core Principle

TITLE TAGS AND META DESCRIPTIONS ARE YOUR AD COPY IN SEARCH RESULTS — THEY MUST INCLUDE THE TARGET KEYWORD, FIT THE CHARACTER LIMITS, AND MAKE SEARCHERS CHOOSE YOUR RESULT OVER THE OTHERS.

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Phase 1: Brief

Required Inputs

Input	What to Ask	Default
Pages to optimize	"List the pages (URLs or titles) that need meta tag optimization."	No default — must be provided
Target keywords	"What keyword should each page target?"	No default — must be provided
Brand name	"What is your brand name for title tag formatting?"	Business name
Title format preference	"Do you append your brand name to title tags?"	Yes — "Page Title
Current meta tags	"Can you share the existing title tags and meta descriptions?"	Will audit if URLs provided

GATE: Confirm the page list and keywords before optimizing.

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Phase 2: Meta Tag Audit

Current State Assessment

For each page, evaluate:

## Meta Tag Audit

| Page | Current Title | Chars | Current Description | Chars | Issues |
|------|--------------|-------|--------------------|----|--------|
| [Page 1] | [Title] | [X] | [Description] | [X] | [Issues] |
| [Page 2] | [Title] | [X] | [Description] | [X] | [Issues] |

Common Issues to Flag

• Title over 60 characters (gets truncated)
• Title under 30 characters (misses ranking potential)
• Meta description over 160 characters (gets truncated)
• Meta description under 120 characters (wastes SERP space)
• Missing target keyword in title
• Missing target keyword in description
• Duplicate titles across pages
• Generic descriptions ("Welcome to our website")
• No CTA or benefit in description

GATE: Present the audit before writing optimized versions.

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Phase 3: Write Optimized Meta Tags

Title Tag Rules

• Length: 50-60 characters (hard limit: 60 to avoid truncation)
• Keyword placement: Target keyword as close to the beginning as possible
• Brand name: Append at the end with a pipe separator (| Brand Name)
• Format: [Primary Keyword Phrase] — [Benefit or Modifier] | Brand
• Uniqueness: Every page gets a unique title tag

Meta Description Rules

• Length: 150-160 characters (hard limit: 160)
• Keyword inclusion: Target keyword appears naturally (Google bolds it)
• Structure: [Hook/benefit] + [What the page covers] + [CTA or value prop]
• Action words: Use "Learn," "Discover," "Get," "Find out" — not passive language
• No quotes or special characters that might cause truncation

Output Format

## Optimized Meta Tags

### Page: [Page Name/URL]
**Target keyword:** [keyword]

**Title tag (XX chars):**
[Optimized title tag here]

**Meta description (XXX chars):**
[Optimized meta description here]

**Notes:** [Any specific recommendations]

---

### Page: [Next Page]
...

Before/After Examples

Show the improvement for at least 2-3 pages:

**Before:** Home | My Company Website (27 chars — too short, no keyword)
**After:** Email Marketing Tools for Small Business | [Brand] (52 chars)

**Before:** We offer many great services for your business needs (too generic, 52 chars)
**After:** Save 10+ hours/week with email automation tools built for solopreneurs. Free trial available. (93 chars — add more)

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Phase 4: Polish

1. Implementation Checklist

• All title tags under 60 characters
• All meta descriptions between 150-160 characters
• Every page has a unique title and description
• Target keyword present in every title
• Target keyword present in every description
• No duplicate meta tags across the site
• Brand name consistently formatted

2. CTR Optimization Tips

• Use numbers when possible ("7 Ways to..." or "Save $500")
• Use current year for time-sensitive content ("2026 Guide")
• Test parenthetical additions: (Free Template) (Step-by-Step) (With Examples)
• Analyze Search Console CTR data monthly — low CTR + high impressions = rewrite the meta tags

3. Ongoing Process

• Review meta tags for top 20 pages monthly
• Update title tags when targeting changes
• Refresh descriptions seasonally or when offers change
• Check Google Search Console for pages with high impressions but low CTR

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Anti-Patterns

• Keyword stuffing in titles — "Email Marketing Email Tools Email Software" is unreadable and hurts rankings.
• Same meta description on every page — duplicate descriptions are treated as missing descriptions by Google.
• Writing for search engines, not humans — the meta description must make a human want to click, not just contain keywords.
• Ignoring mobile truncation — mobile SERPs show fewer characters. Front-load the most important words.
• Set and forget — meta tags should be reviewed and updated as keyword strategies evolve.

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Recovery

• Hundreds of pages to optimize: Prioritize by traffic and impressions. Start with the top 20 pages in Google Search Console.
• No target keywords defined: Run keyword research first. Each page needs a primary keyword before meta tags can be optimized.
• Google rewrites your meta tags: Google sometimes generates its own snippets. Ensure your tags accurately reflect page content — this reduces rewrites.
• CMS doesn't support custom meta tags: Recommend Yoast SEO (WordPress) or similar plugins that add meta tag fields to every page.