This is the title that appears at the top of your Web browser on the tab and on the search results page. In addition to the school name, it is helpful to include a few identifying keywords, and since this is something the user can see, you want it to be informative and provide a location for search. Google cuts the count around 55 characters, including spaces. This cut-off number also takes the width of the letters into account. For example, an uppercase G is wider than an uppercase I. It will still read and index what gets cut off; it just won’t show on the page in the results. An ellipsis will show after the cut-off.
 

RECOMMENDATION:  [School Name] | A Private [gender(if single sex)/day/boarding] school in [City, State].

  

 

This is the brief paragraph that displays in the search results under the Page Title. Google doesn’t rank sites based on keywords appearing in the meta description, so think of this as the sales pitch to get someone to click on the school’s listing. Like the browser title text, you want this to be both informative and include keywords to boost click-throughs. Google cuts the description off at about 150 characters (including spaces) so you want to keep it short.

 

RECOMMENDATION:  Located in [City, State], [School Name] is a private [gender(if single sex)/day/boarding] school for grades [#s].

 

 

Having a descriptive sentence or two about your school in plain text directly on the homepage may also help improve search.

 

RECOMMENDATION:  Located in  [City, State],  [School Name] is a private [gender(if single-sex)/day/boarding] school for grades [#s]. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.

  

 

Independent schools typically shy away from the term “private school,” but this is the term most often used when parents begin a Google search for schools for their child. The goal here is for those parents to find your site in their initial search efforts. By having the words “private school” on your site at least once, you will lead them there, and can then educate them about “independent” schools.
  

  

By switching to the term Private School on your home page, you should be able to rank for those 18,100 searches.