How to Change Your Google Search Listing (Without the SEO Overwhelm)

You’ve launched your website - amazing! But when someone Googles your business and sees a clunky or confusing result, it can feel disheartening. You’ve put so much into building your site - and that little Google snippet should reflect it.

Here’s the good news: you can change the text that shows up in Google search results. It’s easier than you think - and it makes a big difference to how your site appears, performs, and connects with potential clients.

This guide walks you through how to update your Google listing snippet.

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Step 1: Check how your site looks on Google

Open Google.

Type: site:yourwebsite.com (replace with your domain).

Hit enter.

What you’ll see:

• A list of pages Google has indexed

• Your current title tag and meta description for each

If your site doesn’t appear: Submit your sitemap at yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml via Google Search Console.

Step 2: Rewrite your title tag and meta description

These are the two lines that appear under your link in Google. They're tiny - but mighty.

They should:

• Solve a problem (“SEO tips for time-strapped founders”)

• Include search-friendly keywords (“how to update meta tags on Shopify”)

• Create curiosity - without being clickbait

Example:
🚫 “Home | SEO Consultant London | Digital Agency”
✅ “Get Found on Google: SEO fixes for creative entrepreneurs”

Step 3: Update it in your website platform

Wix

• Open your page

• Go to SEO Basics

• Update your Page Title and Meta Description

• Keep it concise:

  • Title = under 60 characters

  • Description = under 155 characters

Shopify

• Go to Online Store > Themes > Edit Code

• Find the <title> tag inside theme.liquid

• For products or pages, scroll to Search Engine Listing Preview

Squarespace

• Open your page settings

• Click SEO

• Add your custom title and description

• Use clear dividers like pipes: SEO Help | High Flying Design

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Want to preview it first? Use Moz Title Tag Preview or Meta Tags.io to test before publishing.

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What happens next?

Once your new title and description are live, Google usually updates your listing within 7–15 days.

But if you want to speed things up:

• Open Google Search Console

• Find the page

• Click “Request Indexing”

This tells Google: please re-crawl this page now.

Avoid these 3 common mistakes

1. Stuffing in keywords

🚫 “SEO London | SEO agency | SEO help UK”
✅ “London-based SEO consultant helping creatives grow online”

2. Forgetting mobile

Over 60% of searches happen on phones. Prioritise clarity - and make sure your best phrase appears in the first 50 characters.

3. Leaving out the “why”

Your listing should tell someone what’s in it for them.

🚫 “We offer web design and SEO services.”
✅ “Need a site that shows up on Google and actually converts? Let’s build it.”

Bonus: check your visibility beyond Google

• Submit your sitemap to Bing - it only takes 2 minutes

• Use Open Graph tags so your links display beautifully on social (especially Pinterest and LinkedIn)

• Run a snippet check using Meta Tags.io to see what people see when they share your link

Final thoughts

Google listings aren’t set-and-forget. They’re quick wins that help your site look as good as it feels - especially when someone’s searching for exactly what you offer.

Take five minutes. Update your snippet. Reintroduce your business to the world - with clarity and confidence.