How to Fix Meta Tags in WordPress (Title, Description, Robots, OG)
WordPress meta tag management is dominated by SEO plugins (Yoast, Rank Math, AIOSEO). Each plugin handles title tags, descriptions, robots directives, canonical URLs, OG and Twitter cards differently. This guide covers WordPress-specific meta tag configuration, validation and common issues. Pair with meta analyzer guide and OG tags.
Step 1: Audit current meta output
View source on 5 representative URLs. Check: title length (50-60 chars ideal), description length (≤160), canonical URL present, robots directives sensible, OG tags complete.
Step 2: Configure global title patterns in SEO plugin
Yoast/Rank Math/AIOSEO → Titles & Meta → set patterns per post type. Example for posts: '%title% | %sitename%'. For categories: '%category% Archives | %sitename%'. Use plugin variables, not hardcoded text.
Step 3: Override titles per page where needed
On individual posts/pages, override the auto-generated title in the SEO plugin section below the editor. Useful for: homepage (custom branded title), key landing pages (CTR-optimised titles), product pages.
Step 4: Write per-page meta descriptions
Auto-generated meta descriptions (excerpted from content) are weak. Write custom 150-160 char descriptions on every important page. Include focus keyword + value proposition + CTA.
Step 5: Configure canonical URLs
Plugin auto-sets canonical to current URL. For duplicate content scenarios (variations, /amp/, archive pages), manually override. Check Search Console Coverage for 'Duplicate without user-selected canonical' errors.
Step 6: Configure robots directives
Default: index, follow. Exceptions: tag archives, author archives, search results, paginated content past page 5 — often noindex. Plugin Settings → Search Appearance → toggle per archive type.
Step 7: Configure OG and Twitter cards
Plugin generates these automatically based on title + description + featured image. Override per-page if needed. Test via Facebook Sharing Debugger and Twitter Card Validator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my WordPress title differ between Google search and the SEO plugin preview?
Google sometimes rewrites titles based on its own algorithms, especially if your title is generic, keyword-stuffed, or doesn't match query intent. Mitigation: write descriptive, specific titles. Google rewrites less when it considers the original good. If it persistently rewrites a particular page, take the hint and revise.
How do I find WordPress pages with missing meta descriptions?
Yoast SEO → Content → posts list shows description status with traffic-light indicators. Rank Math → Posts → has Status column. Or use a tool like Screaming Frog (crawls the site, lists pages with missing descriptions). Backfill systematically by priority (highest traffic first).
Should I use the same meta description as my Yoast snippet preview?
Plugin preview shows what Google might display. If you've set a custom description, that's what plugin saves. If you leave it blank, plugin auto-generates from content. Either way, the saved value is what Google sees. Make sure plugin's saved description matches what you intend.
Why does my WordPress canonical URL point at the wrong URL?
Common causes: WP_HOME or WP_SITEURL mismatch (database vs wp-config.php), wrong SSL detection (http vs https), or plugin conflict (multiple plugins setting canonical). Check Settings → General URLs are correct, then look at debug.log for canonical-related issues.
Should I noindex tag and author archives in WordPress?
Usually yes — they tend to be thin content (small post snippets) that competes with your real content. Exceptions: high-traffic tag pages that rank for the tag term (don't kill these), or active multi-author sites where author pages are useful (e-commerce expert profiles, news sites with bylined journalists).
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