Meta descriptions are an underrated aspect of on-page SEO. Meta descriptions are brief snippets of text that appear below the title of a website on the search engine result page. They are an important search ranking factor and determine relevance to a user’s search query. Meta descriptions draw potential visitors to a website as they briefly describe what the page is about. In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of meta descriptions in SEO and provide 10 tips on how to write a good meta description.
What is a meta description?
A meta description is a short snippet of text describing a page’s contents. It is used by search engines to understand the page’s content and determine its relevance to a user’s search query. Here’s what a meta description looks like on the SERP.
Meta descriptions not only draw visitors to the page but also help search engines understand the content of your website. It’s an SEO best practice to keep meta descriptions between 150-160 characters in length, as longer descriptions may be truncated by search engines. However, technically there is no limit on the length of the meta description.
It is important to note that sometimes the meta descriptions you assign might not be the same as what Google shows in SERP. But why is that the case? Well, Google may rewrite a meta description for your webpage that is entirely different from the meta description on the webpage, depending on the correctness of the meta description. This isn’t anything new. This process was long since been automated by Google.
In most cases, Google rewrites the meta descriptions for websites. Does this mean that brands are writing inaccurate meta descriptions for their pages?
What is a good meta description example?
Here are some excellent examples of meta descriptions-
“ Search the world’s information, including webpages, images, videos, and more. Google has many features to help you find exactly what you are looking for.”
“Learn about working at Automattic. Join LinkedIn today for free. See who you know at Automattic, leverage your professional network, and get hired.”
Uber
“ Get a ride in minutes with Uber, your destination is at your fingertips. Just open the app and enter where you want to go, and a nearby driver will help you get there reliably.”
Importance of meta description in SEO
Meta descriptions are an essential part of SEO as they are used by search engines to rank pages and determine relevance to a user’s search query. A well-written meta description can help increase your page’s ranking on search engine result pages, giving search engines a better understanding of the page’s content. Meta descriptions can also draw potential visitors to the page, as they provide a brief description of what the page is about.
Search engines don’t have any direct connection with meta descriptions. They seldom use them in their search algorithms. However, having a sound meta description has many indirect benefits. Here are a few –
Meta tags influence click-through rates
It gives viewers an idea about what content lies on your pages. If they find your meta description interesting at first glance, they fill like going through the detailed texts. It influences your click-through rate.
Acts as organic ad texts
Your meta description speaks about your features and how your users can benefit from using them. It works exactly like an ad campaign. It creates an interest among the viewers to visit your pages.
Reduces bounce rates
If your meta description is catchy enough, it holds back the viewers. If they feel they will find some good information on your pages, they will visit them and get engaged with your content. It reduces your bounce rate.
Influences conversion rates
It has a direct influence on conversions. Also, it helps increase traffic, holds back the customers, and conveys the benefits of your products. It increases the chances for conversions. If you add a CTA button near the meta description, the conversion rate will increase even more.
10 Tips on How to Write a Good Meta Description
1. Keep your descriptions within the prescribed character limits
It is always advisable to make your meta description short and crispy. It should neither be too long nor too short. In a few selected words, it should be able to convey the message you want to communicate with your viewers. Staying within the prescribed word limit is good as they are well-researched formats. And, in normal circumstances, search engines prefer these formats.
2. Use focus keywords
Keywords are lifelines in content marketing. They give you a good position on SEO pages and drive more traffic. Focus keywords are high-volume and relevant keywords. To increase your popularity, use some focus keywords in your meta tags.
3. Use active voice
If you address your viewers directly by using active voice, it works better. People can relate to you easily as they feel that their issues are being directly addressed. The other reason is that active voice makes your meta description simple and easy to understand.
4. Be specific and compact
Your meta description should be comprehensive and compact. There should not be any scope for ambiguity. So you must be specific about the things you are talking about. Do not include any additional details. Give as much information as required. Otherwise, confusion may develop.
5. It must match the content of the page
Consider the points you need to include whenever you write a meta description. You have to be very careful about the purpose. It should always match the content of the page for which you are writing it. It should include all the critical points of the contents of the page.
6. Must be unique
There has to be some kind of uniqueness in your metadata. You should look different from the rest in the queue. If your description is unusual, people will find it interesting and feel like visiting your pages. It will increase your traffic.
7. Talk about benefits and urgency
A million-dollar question that comes to every visitor’s mind when he visits a product page is, what benefit will he get out of it? Your product may have hundreds of good features, but it is useless if the customers don’t find it beneficial. This is why you must clearly communicate the benefits in your meta description. Adding some urgency, like the offer is valid for only a few days, works fine.
8. Communicate values
People find it more impressive if you add value to your meta tags. For this, you have to be very target specific. Every group has its own values and social or cultural ethos. These are very sensitive touchpoints. If you can hit them, it will work like magic.
9. Reflect the tone and voice of the brand
Your meta description should always align with your brand image and convey the brand values. So, you have to be very careful about your selection of words, the construction of the sentences, and the tone of writing while composing your metadata.
10. Make it appealing
If you put information merely, it may not seem very attractive to the viewers. But if there is an emotional appeal, people find it very catchy. Always try to create an emotional appeal in the meta tags. Emotional appeal convinces visitors more.
Conclusion
Meta descriptions are an essential part of SEO as they are used by search engines to rank pages and determine relevance to a user’s search query. They can also be used to draw potential visitors to a website, as they provide a brief description of what the page is about. Writing a good meta description requires you to keep it concise, include relevant keywords, be descriptive, and avoid duplicate content. Following these 10 tips on how to write a good meta description can help ensure your page’s success in the search engine result pages.
