The meta tag is a crucial part of user experience on your site. It’s the code that tells search engines what to look for and what to know about your page and content so you can rank higher. It’s not however a magic pill that will make you rank higher without any work. It’s a balance between quantity and quality. The meta description is the code that tells search engines what the page is about and gives the user a clue as to what to do next. It’s the key to a well-written, compelling meta tag.
Today, Google indexes more than 3 billion webpages, and over half of those are meta descriptions. The SEO world is obsessed with optimizing your meta descriptions for your website, and there are countless articles arguing over the ideal length. The truth is, the right length is very personal, and you should experiment with different lengths to see what works best for your site.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Inbound marketing is a type of marketing in which people search for your company’s goods and services, rather than being sought out directly. In this way, you can reach out to potential customers and get them to take an interest in your company and business. (Source: http://www.digitalmarketer.com/how-to/how-to-write-compelling-meta-descriptions-thatll-boost-your-rankings/)
Meta descriptions may be the solution if you want to improve your organic SEO results.
That is, if they are well-written.
A compelling meta description should entice visitors to learn more by clicking on your website in the search results.
It should also include keywords to help with SEO.
To help you dominate Google search results, we’ll go through the best practices for writing meta descriptions.
What Are Meta Descriptions and How Do They Work?
Meta descriptions are 160-character snippets that describe the content of a web page. These snippets appear in search results to inform visitors about the content of a website before they click on it.
Users use meta descriptions to choose whether or not they want to click on your website when it appears in a search result. They also have an impact on where your website appears in search results.
On our site, a short example of a meta description may be seen below.
What Is the Importance of Meta Descriptions?
Meta descriptions are essential because the Google algorithm uses meta tags (including meta descriptions) to decide which sites should rank high for certain keywords.
You have the option of adding a meta tag that isn’t in your text if you use meta descriptions correctly. This may be the difference between landing on page four or page one for “best shoes.”
Meta descriptions are beneficial in the following ways:
- Increase your click-through rates, and your conversions and revenues will rise as a result.
- Improve indexing to improve your search engine results page ranking (SERPs).
- Make it simpler for visitors to locate the information they need without having to sift through page titles or meta tags.
Those with meta descriptions get 5.8% more clicks on average than pages without.
Even Google, the world’s most powerful search engine, advises creating meta descriptions for your website.
Meta descriptions help searchers understand what your website is about and what information they may expect to discover if they click.
When a link is shared on social networking platforms, meta descriptions may appear.
A search engine may generate a meta description for you if one is missing or if you have written it outside of standard guidelines. The issue is that it may not be as accurate or engaging as one you create yourself.
That is why writing your own meta descriptions is so important.
Writing Great Meta Descriptions: Some Pointers
Meta descriptions are an excellent method to engage visitors on the search engine results page (SERP) and increase organic traffic.
How can you create meta descriptions that get people to click on your site and help you rank higher? Here are eight pointers to help you write better meta descriptions.
1. Incorporate a Call-to-action (CTA) Into Your Meta Descriptions
Including a call-to-action (CTA) in your meta descriptions is an excellent method to get visitors to visit your site. When people see it in the SERPs, you may utilize words like “Learn More,” “Click Here,” or “Shop Now.”
CTAs explain what the website has to offer and what consumers may anticipate if they click. They may also provide an incentive for visitors to click through and interact with your site.
CTAs may be used to promote a product, invite visitors to join up for an email list, or lead them to your social network sites.
This LinkedIn example from Automattic invites people to join LinkedIn in order to apply for their open jobs.
2. Emphasize the Importance of Your Meta Description
Including terms that explain the value you provide is a fantastic approach to get folks to click on your link.
When someone reads a meta description, they should be able to tell what is being offered and if it is worthwhile.
When it comes to interacting with your material, use terms like “learn,” “see,” or “watch.”
Other terms like “best,” “bargain,” “new,” and “popular” may also help your meta descriptions stand out.
3. Run a Split-test on Your Meta Descriptions
A meta description is an excellent area to try out new keywords, phrases, or CTAs.
This will allow you to figure out what generates greater interaction without having to make any permanent or dramatic changes to your site’s appearance.
By creating two meta descriptions for each page, you may A/B test your meta descriptions.
One version of a term, phrase, or CTA may be used in a meta description. The second meta description may be the same as the first, or it could concentrate on a new offer or keyword.
After a few weeks of testing, check your Google Analytics to discover which meta gets the most clicks. Then, when writing fresh meta descriptions, make advantage of the information you’ve gathered.
(If the number of clicks is close, check at additional metrics like bounce rate, time on page, or conversions.) Meta descriptions have an effect on more than just traffic!)
4. Experiment With the Length of Your Characters
The length of a meta description is restricted to 150 characters. If your meta is longer than this, it will be truncated in the search results, meaning consumers will not view any information after the cut-off.
An example of a shortened meta is shown below. Take note of the ellipses:
You may experiment with your description to discover what works best for each page, even if you can’t go above the limit. In-depth tutorials, for example, may get additional clicks as a consequence of the shortened results since people want to learn more.
On your main page, you may discover that shorter meta descriptions work well, while blogs with a larger word count perform better. For your suggested goods page, you may find that meta descriptions with a larger word count perform well.
Avoid going above the suggested character limit, since this can hurt your ranks.
5. Make Your Meta Descriptions Interesting and Unique
Meta descriptions are essential for catching readers’ attention since they give a summary of what information is included on a page.
Using a clickbait headline or posing a question that people want answered are two ideas for grabbing user attention.
Use eye-catching adjectives or phrases like “shocking,” “hilarious,” or “life-changing” to capture a user’s attention. Just be wary of overpromising and underdelivering.
As you can see in the sample above, they employ a highly active voice to give the reader a powerful push.
You’re informed what to anticipate, but no superfluous information are provided. If you’re searching for a quick method to improve your SEO, you’ll probably follow this link.
You’ll also note that the preceding example is extremely precise and devoid of fluff.
If you want to rank high in the SERPs, this is particularly essential.
Most essential, make sure the description corresponds to the page’s content.
6. Make Use of Keywords in Meta Descriptions
Keywords should be included in meta descriptions for two reasons:
- It aids search engines in comprehending the page and improving the ranking of your content.
- It ensures users that the page covers the subject they’re looking for.
To discover the ideal keywords for your site, use a service like Ubersuggest. Then, to enhance your rating, include them in your meta descriptions.
Note: To guarantee that your page appears in all relevant searches, use distinct keywords in the meta descriptions for each page.
Keep in mind that Google does not directly utilize keyword meta tags in its search results. That isn’t to say they aren’t useful to users.
Also, avoid keyword stuffing in your meta descriptions to prevent a penalty from the search engines. Each phrase in the meta description should include one or two keywords that are related to the page.
7. Work with Structured Data
Structured data meta tags are HTML tags that you may use on your website to provide search engines and social media platforms more context.
The company name, address, phone number, email address, a product description with pricing points (if relevant), an image URL, and a Twitter account are the most frequent kinds of structured data meta tags utilized by marketers.
You may begin adopting structured data in a variety of ways.
One of the most common methods is for websites to include reviews in their meta description:
This sends a clear message to your visitor that they will discover something useful on the site.
Because social proof is such a strong tool for selling and growing your business, here is a simple hack that allows you to start profiting from user behavior right now.
Structured data can help you build a more powerful meta description that will help you rank higher in search results. They can also help you snag Google snippets.
8. Avoid Using the Same Meta Description Again
Because a meta description is so important for SEO, ensure sure each page has its own. Search engines and other browsers are more likely to comprehend what information is on a page and how it relates to other sites if the meta descriptions are unique.
If a user sees identical meta descriptions on every page of your website, they will have no idea what kind of information is on which page.
This is particularly essential for e-commerce sites with many pages with identical information. The metas should be distinct, even if the products are identical.
Duplicate meta descriptions may hurt your website since they make it harder for meta description spiders to find them. Because crawlers are unable to identify whether page is original, you may suffer indexing penalty.
Great Meta Description Examples
The greatest meta description examples come from the search engines themselves. For starters, consider Google’s own meta description.
Here’s how Google’s meta description is coded:
It’s 159 characters long, including spaces. In the top three search engines, Google’s meta description appears as follows.
In Google, type:
Yahoo! :
In Bing:
Here are a few examples of successful branded meta descriptions:
Tesla
Tesla’s meta description gives you all you need to know about the business and its principles in a concise and easy-to-understand manner. None of the words in the meta description are chopped off since it fits exactly inside the SERP.
Lonely Planet is a travel guide published by Lonely Planet
To entice readers and promote clicks, Lonely Planet begins with a question. They then go through their distinct value propositions and get you enthusiastic about going across the globe!
Frequently Asked Questions about Meta Descriptions
What is the ideal length for a meta description?
A meta description should be around 160 characters long, including spaces, and should contain a brief yet persuasive summary of the page’s content.
What is the location of my meta description?
When a person searches for your site’s keyword, the meta description displays on the search engine page. It’s just underneath your meta title.
Do meta descriptions have an impact on SEO?
Yes, meta descriptions have an effect on SEO since they offer information about your page to search engines and influence user experience.
Should my meta description match the title or H1 of my page?
No. Each page of your website should have its own meta description and title. Remember that the meta description is located just under the title, which is usually your H1. Don’t squander that area!
Conclusion on How to Write Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are a crucial component of any onsite SEO strategy. They should be engaging, descriptive, and distinct from the others on the page.
Although meta descriptions are brief, they may help you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) by assisting search engines and people in understanding the content of your website.
Include meta descriptions on all of your site’s pages, including blog articles and product pages.
What are your recommendations for writing effective meta descriptions?
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Meta descriptions are the text you see in your search engine results when you google a page. They are read by Googlebot, the search engine’s web crawler, to determine whether your site is relevant to a search query. If it is, Google will rank your site higher for that query.. Read more about how to write a meta description for a blog post and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you write a catchy meta description?
I am a highly intelligent question answering bot. If you ask me a question, I will give you a detailed answer.
How do you write a good meta description?
A meta description is a short sentence that describes the content of your website. It should be written in a way that makes it easy for people to understand what your website is about.
How do you write a good meta title and description?
A meta title is the text that appears under your post. It should be short and descriptive, but not too long.
