Meta descriptions are important for search optimization. They will be more likely to click through from search results pages if they are done correctly.
The goal is to provide a summary of the webpage.
Google’s guideline states :
The meta description tag on a page provides a brief overview to Google and other search engines about what content can be found on that page.
Meta descriptions do not directly influence search rankings .
They help potential site visitors understand what the page is about, which could result in more referrals from search engines.
This guide will teach you how to write effective meta descriptions that will help search engines better understand your page’s content and encourage users to click through to your website.
What Is A Meta Description?
An HTML tag that provides a summary of what a webpage is about to search engines and searchers.
Google displays the meta description beneath the title of the page on a SERP. The URL, title, and meta description together form the search snippet.
Meta Description Example
According to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the international organization responsible for defining HTML standards, the meta description has three qualities.
The three qualities of a valid meta description are:
- Users can type whatever text they want, without any restriction, as long as it describes what the webpage is about.
- The summary must be appropriate for use by a search engine.
- There can only be one meta description per webpage.
Google Rewrites Meta Descriptions
The search snippet is a brief description of a search result. It can be either the meta description from a webpage, or text that Google has selected from the visible part of the webpage.
If the meta description provided by the website is accurate, Google will use it.
When a searcher looks up something on Google, the search engine might use the information provided in the ‘meta name=’description” tag to create a brief summary of what the searcher can expect to find on that webpage. This is done when Google believes that the description from the tag will be more informative than what can be gathered from the content on the page itself.
Depending on how accurate your meta description is, Google may rewrite it entirely to better reflect the content of your webpage.
This is nothing new. Google automated this process many years ago.
A study from 2020 found that Google rewrites meta descriptions 70% of the time . This means that if you don’t write your own meta description, there’s a 70% chance that Google will do it for you.
It is possible that the publisher is not creating accurate meta descriptions.
There is no dispute that it is important to understand how to write a meta description.
Meta Descriptions vs. SERP Snippets
Both “meta descriptions” and “search snippets” are commonly used terms when discussing SEO, but they actually refer to two different things. A meta description is a brief description of a webpage that is included in the HTML code, while a search snippet is the description of a webpage that appears in the search results.
Although meta descriptions and search snippets are similar, they are two different things.
The meta description is an HTML tag that allows you to control the description that appears below your website in a search engine. You can create and optimize your own meta descriptions.
The descriptions of your webpages that Google shows are called search snippets.
Why Are Meta Descriptions Important For SEO?
Meta descriptions are not used as ranking factors .
What is the purpose of meta-descriptions today, and why are they considered important?
Meta descriptions may help to increase the number of clicks, visitors, and potential customers to a website by convincing users that the page contains the information they desire. This, in turn, could lead to more revenue for the site.
Google guidance on best practices for meta descriptions advises using the meta description tag to provide a summary of the webpage content.
But it also suggests using it to persuade users that the content is what they’re looking for.
They are like a commercial that convinces the user that the page is exactly what they’re looking for.
The goal of SEO is to improve the visibility of a website by improving its ranking in the search results.
The meta description is important to SEO because it is used to persuade the user to click to the webpage.
What Is The Recommended Or Ideal Meta Description Length?
It has been considered a standard SEO best practice for years to keep meta descriptions at or below the character limit.
The purpose of this optimization is to help prevent the meta description from being cut off in the search results.
Although there is no limit to how long the meta description can be, Google suggests keeping it no longer than a short paragraph. This is because the meta description helps Google better understand the webpage.
This is what Google recommends :
A page’s meta description is a brief summary of what the page is about, typically a sentence or two. It is used by Google and other search engines to give a summary of the page’s content.
SEOs recommend avoiding writing a meta description that is too long, as Google may only show a portion of it on the search results page.
Google suggests being concise and writing a paragraph or more.
The W3C HTML standards do not place any restrictions on the amount of text that can be used in a free-form string.
Google recommends that meta descriptions be a summary of the webpage Accurate but no longer than a short paragraph.
Ultimately, use your own judgment.
Why Optimize Meta Titles and Descriptions?
In search engine result pages (SERPs), competition is tough. If your website does not rank in the top three spots, you will need to find other ways to get traffic. The meta titles and descriptions on your website can affect how people see your site.
There are two main reasons for this:
- Your website’s meta title and description will usually be the first thing your website visitors see. And, thankfully, optimizing these does not take much effort (compared to other SEO activities ).
- People on the search results page read the meta titles and meta descriptions of websites to decide which link to click. By writing an engaging, accurate, and relevant meta title/description, you can convince more people to click on the link to your website when it appears in their search results.
If you want to see an increase in your website’s traffic, start by writing better meta titles and meta descriptions. It is important to note that the ranking of your website on search engines will not be significantly impacted by meta titles. Keywords, backlinks and quality traffic are responsible for that.
Having good meta titles and descriptions is important for both on-site SEO and marketing. Your website’s meta title and descriptions will appear on a page with ten other high-quality links. You need to make sure that your website is better than the others.
How to Optimize Your Meta Titles and Descriptions
This article has discussed the basics of meta titles and descriptions, including how to write them. However, that’s not enough. Meta titles and descriptions also need to be optimized.
There are several additional optimization strategies you can use to make your titles and descriptions stand out from your competitors.
Optimize for the SERPs’ Appearance
When you search a topic on Google, the pages that are presented to you are called search engine result pages (SERPs). These pages include additional features such as images and videos (organic search results). There are also some featured ads that are designed to get you to click on them so that the advertiser will pay.
That is what we call SERP optimization.
Google is constantly working to create the best possible design for each search query entered. Thus, if your website’s meta title and description do not fit with Google’s desired presentation of results, you are giving your competitors an opportunity to get ahead.
This is important because the way Google displays the search results can affect how you write your meta title and description.
Optimize for Search Intent
What the searcher intends to do with the information they are looking for. The goal of website visitors is to find what they are looking for quickly and easily. As a website owner, it is your responsibility to help them find what they need.
Search intent can be categorized into four different types:
1. Informational
Informational searches are conducted to find information about products or services, like mobile phones. A search for “iPhone 13pro specifications” is an example of this.
2. Transactional
The user is looking to purchase something specific rather than just general information.
This search could look like: “buy birthday cake.”
3. Commercial
When you are looking for the best deal on any product or service for an event, this is called a commercial search. An example of this would be hiring a wedding planner.
4. Navigational
Navigational searches are those in which you are looking to directly access an application, such as Google Docs or Whatsapp Web.
You can find any application by typing its name into the search bar and selecting the top result.
Unique Selling Points (USPs)
USPs are the best way to get a click on your web page. Businesses across the world have been spending serious cash on Google Ads to test which USPs would work.
USP search can help you find words you may have missed in your initial keyword research. If you want your website to rank higher on Google, pay attention to the words that high-ranking websites are using. Avoid words that websites on the bottom of the search results are using. This will help you to understand what keywords are more important for getting a high ranking.
The search results that appeared after searching for “emergency plumber” are as follows. The keyword “emergency plumber” is the most effective for ranking on top. However, some keywords that are optimized based on USP are “available 24/7,” “fast response,” and “no call out fee.”
This is what USP optimization helps us find.
If companies spend money on certain words and phrases, it’s likely that those are the right keywords to get a response from a searcher. This also suggests that they’re profit-generating keywords too.
If you use them in your new metadata, it could be a winner!
What to Avoid When Creating Meta Titles And Meta Descriptions
There are some things we recommend you don’t do when you’re creating meta titles and meta descriptions. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to writing effective meta titles and descriptions, but there are some general guidelines you can follow to improve your chances of success.
- Don’t Use Spammy Language : Poorly written titles and descriptions, especially those too promotional or self-absorbed, can repel audiences instead of attracting them to visit your website. So make sure you properly convey the benefits of your web page’s contents, rather than going on and on about how great the web page is. Also, don’t sound too desperate in your call-to-action. Instead, communicate the convenience it will bring.
- Don’t Use Passive Voice : Words and sentences written in passive voice can have negative qualities. The primary disadvantage is that the main point you are trying to convey gets shoved to the end of the sentence. Sentences written in the passive voice require more words and are less precise than sentences written in active voice. For example: “a 50% discount will be offered by us on the purchase of two or more items” is passive voice, whereas “get a 50% discount when you buy two or more items” is active voice—and would be our recommended way to go.
- Don’t Use Complex Words : Don’t try to sound too fancy and sophisticated by using complex language. Instead, use simple language that makes your text quickly scannable and easy to understand. Your number one priority, after all, should be to get the message in your meta title and description to be as clear as possible. Fanciness comes second.
Find Some Inspiration
It can be helpful to look at other websites’ meta titles and meta descriptions for inspiration before you write your own. Screaming Frog and Meta tag extractor are two websites that let you download complete metadata from other websites.
You can write great meta titles and descriptions by searching for your competitors on Google. Look at the organic results and pay attention to what your competitors in the ad listings above are typing, especially what keywords they are using. This will give you a good idea of what direction to take, since these are examples of what has worked for your competitors.
Related posts:
