Page writing
Make the title and the heading agree
Check that the page title and the visible heading name the same task, and record the exact strings when they do not.
A page can rank, or be understood, only if a person can tell what it is. This guide checks one pair of strings: the title element and the visible heading. They should name the same task.
Copy both strings before you judge them
Open the page. Copy the browser title and the first heading into two lines. Do not paraphrase. A small word change is the thing you are trying to see.
In a fictional guide, the title says Keyboard focus worksheet and the heading says Record where focus goes. Those are related. They are not the same task. Write both strings in the note.
Sources: Google: Influencing title links
Decide which string the page should keep
Pick the string that tells a reader what they can do on the page. Change the other string to match it, or rewrite both. Do not add a city, a name, or a second topic to force a match.
Google may rewrite a title link. A clear title and a matching heading still help a person who lands on the page. The check records what you published. It does not promise the search result text.
Sources: Google: Influencing title links
Leave a note when you do not change the page
If you keep a mismatch, write why. A series title and a specific heading can both be useful. Say which one is the task and which one is the series.
Recheck after the edit. Copy the two strings again. A remembered fix is not the same as the text that is on the page.