How do you think Google decides what information to display when someone is looking for something on the internet? How does it know which webpage will be most relevant to that person’s search query? How does Google even know what words are in a given sentence? That’s right, meta descriptions!
Meta descriptions are snippets of text that summarize the content on your website. They also provide context for any other page links or advertisements displayed alongside them (such as “related searches”). This blog post will show you how to create an effective meta description so that people can find your site and stay there.
What Are Meta Descriptions?
Search engines use meta keywords and meta descriptions to help people understand a search result’s meaning. Meta descriptions are 160-character summaries of a web page’s content that can be used by search engines as labels for results pages.
The meta description is a text-based sentence or phrase that appears in the search engine results page (SERP) after your website’s URL. It provides information about your business and allows people to determine if they want to click on it in a search result. They are also an important ranking element in search results.
A meta description is a text area placed below your image and immediately below the preview button of your post. On our site, you can see a brief example of this in the chart below.
Why Are Meta Descriptions Important?
Meta descriptions are crucial since Google utilizes meta tags (including meta descriptions) in its algorithm to help determine which sites should rank highly for certain keywords.
If you’re using meta descriptions effectively, you have the option to add a meta tag to your content that isn’t there. The distinction between ranking on page four for “best shoes” or on page one may come down to this.
Meta descriptions help:
- Click-through rates, which in turn will boost your conversions and sales.
- Improve indexing so you rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Make it easier for visitors to find the content they’re looking for without scanning page titles or meta tags.
The average number of visits to a page is 7.2 percent greater for pages with meta descriptions, according to Google.
Google, for example, encourages website owners to use meta descriptions.
On the user-experience front, meta descriptions act as a brief description of your website’s features and content. If visitors click on your ad, they will be directed to your landing page.
A meta description is a phrase or sentence located below the page title on search engine results pages and may appear when a link is shared.
A search engine may generate a meta description for you if one is not present, or if you have written it outside of best practices. The issue is that it may not be as precise or enthralling as the one you create yourself.
That is why having your own meta descriptions is so important.
Characteristics of a good meta description
1. Use active voice and make it actionable
When you consider the meta description as an invitation to your page, you must keep in mind your user and their (possible) reason for visiting. Make sure that your description isn’t bland, difficult to comprehend, or overly complex. People must be able to figure out what they can anticipate from your site.
The type of description like the one depicted below is what you should try to produce. It’s lively, motivational, and focused on you personally. If you click on the link, you’ll know exactly what to expect!
2. Include a call-to-action
“Hello, we have such and such new goods, and you are interested in them. Learn more about us!” This repeats what we previously said about the active voice, but we felt the need to emphasize it once again. The meta description is used by search engines as your sales text. Except, in this scenario, the “product” you’re attempting to market is the page that’s linked. We also utilize Get it now, Try for free, and similar invitations.
3. Use your focus keyword
When your meta description contains a keyword that matches a portion of the text in the search description, Google will be more inclined to utilize it and display it. This will make your site even more appealing. Google may occasionally highlight synonyms. Both the Academy Awards and Oscars are highlighted in this example.
4. Make sure it matches the content of the page
This is a crucial point. If you utilize meta descriptions to deceive people into clicking on your result, Google will find out. They may even penalize you if you do it.
Aside from that, deceptive statements may also boost your bounce rate. This will also damage people’s confidence in your firm. It’s a terrible idea for that reason alone. That is why you want the meta description to correspond to the content on the site.
5. Do Not Duplicate Meta Descriptions
A meta description is important for SEO, so make sure to create unique meta descriptions for each page. Unique meta descriptions improve the likelihood that search engines and other browsers will be able to comprehend what material is on a page and how it compares to other sites.
For example, if every page of your website has the same duplicate meta descriptions, users won’t know what type of material is on which page.
Metas are a great way to optimize your website’s user experience by appealing to the human visual sense. This is even more important for e-commerce websites, which may have many pages with comparable content. Even if the products are similar, the metas should stand out.
Duplicate meta descriptions might have a negative influence on your website because meta description crawlers cannot crawl it. Because crawlers are unable to determine which page is genuine, you may be penalized for indexing errors.
6. Experiment With Character Length
The character limit for meta descriptions is 150 words. If you exceed this length, your meta will be shortened in the search results, leaving no content after the cutoff.
You can’t go above the limit, but you may experiment with your description on each page to see which works best. For example, in-depth guides may get more clicks because users want to learn more.
You may find that shorter meta descriptions perform better on your home page, whereas longer meta descriptions work best for blogs. Alternatively, you could discover that a higher word count is required for your suggested items page.
Should my meta description be the same as my page’s title or H1?
No! Use unique meta descriptions and meta titles for each page of your website. Keep in mind that the meta description is located just beneath the title, which is usually your H1. Don’t squander that space!
How to Create an Effective Meta Description for SEO Purposes
In order to optimize your website’s user experience, you’ll want a unique and compelling meta description that will capture the reader’s attention and entice them into clicking through. Keep in mind that this is just one of many ways you can improve your site visibility with search engine optimization techniques such as keyword placement or using call-to-action phrases like “buy now”.
