Titles & Meta Settings Guide
Configure global SEO defaults for titles, meta descriptions, and schema settings across your entire website
2025 SEO Best Practice: Google now dynamically rewrites 60-70% of meta descriptions to better match search queries. Focus on creating clear, intent-focused templates that provide value even when modified by search engines.
Overview
The Titles & Meta module is your control center for managing how your content appears in search engines . Set global defaults that automatically apply to all content while maintaining the flexibility to override settings for individual posts and pages.
This module handles three critical SEO elements:
- Title Tags: The clickable headlines in search results (50-60 characters)
- Meta Descriptions: The summary text below titles (150-160 characters)
Key Features
Smart Template System
Use dynamic variables to create flexible, reusable templates
SERP Preview
Live preview of how your content appears in Google search results
Bulk Editing
Enable per-post-type bulk editing toggle for list-view SEO editing
Schema & Robots Settings
Per-post-type schema type and robots meta configuration
Schema Integration
Automatic schema markup with customisable types per content
WooCommerce Support
Special variables for products including price, SKU, and stock
Module Tabs
The Titles & Meta module is organised into specialized tabs for different content types and settings:
Global Meta
Global settings for separators, capitalization, and default behaviors
- Title separator selection
- Capitalization rules
- Character limit warnings
- Robots meta defaults
Homepage
Configure how your homepage appears in search results
- Homepage title template
- Meta description
- Static vs blog homepage handling
- Robots meta defaults
Post Types (per-type tabs)
Set defaults for posts, pages, and custom post types
- SEO title templates
- Meta descriptions
- Schema markup
- Robots & schema configuration
Taxonomies (per-taxonomy tabs)
Configure categories, tags, and custom taxonomy archives
- Archive title templates
- Category descriptions
- Noindex empty archives
- URL structure
Authors & Misc Pages
Control author, date, and other archive pages
- Author archive settings
- Date archive handling
- Archive robots meta
- Custom templates
Settings for 404, search results, and pagination
- 404 page titles
- Search results templates
- Pagination handling
- Password protected pages
Bulk Edit (per-post-type toggle)
Enable bulk editing in post-type list views
- Batch editing
- template customisation
- Character counters
- Per-post-type toggle
Template Variables
Use dynamic variables to create flexible templates that automatically populate with the appropriate content:
| Variable | Description | Example Output |
|---|---|---|
%title% | The post/page title | Ultimate SEO Guide |
%sitename% | Your website name | ProRank SEO |
%sep% | Separator character | | |
%tagline% | Site tagline/description | Your SEO Solution |
%excerpt% | Post excerpt or auto-generated summary | First 160 characters... |
%author% | Post author name | John Doe |
%date% | Publish date | January 15, 2025 |
%currentyear% | Current year | 2025 |
%page% | Page number for pagination | Page 2 |
%category% | Primary category | SEO Tips |
Variables can use both %variable% and {variable} syntax. Custom fields are accessible via %custom_field:field_name%.
Post Types Configuration
Each post type (Posts, Pages, Products, etc.) can have its own default settings:
Search Appearance
- Show in search results: Control indexing and sitemap inclusion
- SEO title template: Default pattern like
%title% %sep% %sitename% - Meta description template: Default pattern like
%excerpt% - SERP preview: Live preview with character counters
- Default social image: Fallback image for posts without featured images
- Social title template: Can differ from SEO title
- Social description: Optimised for social engagement
Schema Settings
- Page type: WebPage, ItemPage, FAQPage, etc.
- Article type: Article, BlogPosting, NewsArticle, etc.
Additional Settings
- Enable SEO controls: Show/hide metabox in editor
- Enable bulk editing: Allow mass editing in bulk edit tab
- Custom fields analysis: Include custom fields in SEO scoring (Pro+)
Bulk Edit & AI Optimisation
The Bulk Edit tab provides powerful tools for managing SEO across your site:
Manual Bulk Editing
- Select multiple posts/pages to edit simultaneously
- Real-time character counters with visual warnings
- Per-post-type toggle to find specific content
- Pagination for large content libraries
AI Optimisation (Pro)
Use artificial intelligence to generate optimised titles and descriptions:
- Tone selection: Professional, friendly, casual, or formal
- Keyword integration: Ensure primary keywords are included
- Length optimisation: Stay within character limits
- Custom instructions: Add specific requirements for AI
1. Select posts to optimise
2. Review and adjust templates
3. Save settings
4. Review generated suggestions
5. Save all changes at onceBest Practices for 2025
Title Tag Optimisation
- Keep titles under 60 characters (50-55 for mobile)
- Place primary keywords near the beginning
- Include your brand name with separator
- Make titles unique and descriptive
Meta Description Excellence
- Target 150-160 characters (120 for mobile)
- Include a clear call-to-action
- Use active voice and compelling language
- Match search intent, not just keywords
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Keyword stuffing in titles or descriptions
- Using identical templates for all content
- Ignoring mobile truncation limits
Integration with Other Modules
The Titles & Meta module works seamlessly with other ProRank SEO features:
- Schema Markup: Title templates feed into structured data
- XML Sitemaps: Respects noindex settings for exclusion
- Content Analysis: Analyses title/description optimisation
- Breadcrumbs: Uses title hierarchy for navigation
Quick Start Guide
Step 1: Configure General Settings
- Go to ProRank SEO > On-Page SEO > Titles & Meta
- Select your preferred separator (|, -, •, etc.)
- Set character limit warnings
Step 2: Set Homepage Template
- Click Homepage tab
- Configure title: %sitename% %sep% %tagline%
- Add meta description for your homepage
Step 3: Configure Post Types
- Open the tab for your post type (e.g. Posts, Pages)
- Set templates for Posts, Pages, Products
- Enable bulk editing for desired types
Step 4: Set Category/Tag Templates
- Open the tab for your taxonomy (e.g. Categories, Tags)
- Configure archive page templates
- Enable noindex for empty archives
Step 5: Test with Preview
- Use SERP preview to check appearance
- Verify character counts
- Test on mobile and desktop viewsAdvanced Features
Custom Field Variables
Access any custom field in your templates using the syntax:
%custom_field:field_name%
%cf:my_custom_field%
Example for WooCommerce:
Title: %title% - $%custom_field:_price% %sep% %sitename%
Output: "Premium Headphones - $299 | YourStore"Conditional Logic
Some variables only appear when relevant:
%page%- Only shows on paginated pages%term%- Only available on taxonomy archives%search_query%- Only on search results
WooCommerce Variables
%price% - Product price with currency
%sku% - Product SKU
%stock_status% - In Stock/Out of Stock
%product_cat% - Product categories
%product_tag% - Product tags
Example:
%title% %sep% %price% %sep% %stock_status%
"Gaming Mouse | $59.99 | In Stock"Troubleshooting
Templates not applying?
Check if individual post/page has custom SEO settings that override defaults. Clear any caching plugins and CDN cache.
Variables showing as text?
Ensure you're using correct syntax (%variable% or {variable}). Check spelling and that the variable exists for the current context.
Character counts wrong?
Google counts pixels, not characters. Our counts are estimates. Test with Google's Rich Results Test for exact rendering.