When you do a search on Google, you’ll often see a short summary of each page in the search results. This description is called the meta description, and it’s an important part of search engine optimization (SEO) that can help make your website more visible and bring in more visitors.
What’s a Meta Description?
A meta description is a short summary of a page’s content that shows below the title tag on search engine results pages. (SERPs). It normally has 150–160 characters or 990 pixels and tells users in a few words what they will find on the page.
Why is it important for SEO to have a Meta Description?
SEO relies on the meta description for a number of reasons:
- Helps Improve Click-Through Rates: A well-written meta description can make people want to click on your link instead of the others that come up in the search. By giving a clear and brief summary of what the page is about, you can help users know what to expect when they click on your link. This can help get more people to click on your links and visit your website.
- Provides Context for the Content: The meta description gives context to the page’s content and tells search engines what the page is about. By using relevant terms and phrases in the meta description, you can tell search engines what the page is about and make it more visible in search results.
- Highlights Unique Selling Proposition: A well-written meta description can also bring out your USP and make your page stand out from other search results. By talking about your page’s features and benefits in the meta description, you can get people to click on your link and maybe even turn them into customers.
How to optimize the meta description?
- Keep it brief: A good meta description should be no more than 155-160 characters or 990 pixels long, including spaces. This ensures that the complete description appears in the search results, which increases click-through rates.
Use tool- Seomofo.com to verify the length of the meta description before publishing on google. - Include your target keywords: Incorporate your primary and secondary primary keywords into the meta description in a natural and appropriate manner. This can help your page rank better in search results and attract users who are looking for those particular keywords.
- Be descriptive: Use the meta description to provide a clear and succinct overview of the page’s content. This can assist users in swiftly understanding the website’s content and deciding whether or not to go through to the page.
- Highlight the unique selling proposition: Determine what distinguishes your page or content and highlight it in the meta description. This can help your page stand out in search results and attract readers looking for that particular type of content.
- Avoid using duplicate descriptions: Make sure that each meta description is unique and accurately portrays the page’s content. This can help to reduce user confusion and avoid search engines penalizing your site for duplicating material.
- Use action-oriented language: Include action-oriented words in the meta description such as “discover,” “learn,” “explore,” or “get started” to entice people to click through to the page.
Example of a Good Meta Description
An example of a well-written meta description for a page about SEO is as follows:
- Example for SEO agency: “Learn how to improve your website’s visibility and attract more traffic with our comprehensive SEO guide. Our expert tips and strategies will help you climb the search engine rankings and drive more leads and sales to your business”
This meta description is simple, to the point, and gives an overview of what the page is about. It also has important keywords and phrases like “SEO guide” and “search engine rankings” that can help the page show up higher in search results. Also, the meta description points out the page’s unique selling proposition (USP) by stating the expert tips and strategies that users can expect to find on the page. - Example for a recipe blog: “Need a quick and easy dinner idea? Check out our recipe for a tasty chicken stir-fry! Our tasty meal is full of protein and vegetables and can be ready in just 30 minutes.”
This meta description makes it clear what the blog post is about and emphasizes the recipe’s unique selling point, which is that it’s quick and easy to make. - Example of a post on a travel blog: “Are you ready to see the world? Our ultimate travel guide will help you plan your next journey! Find out what the locals think are the best sights, bars, and things to do in your favorite places.”
This meta description gives a good summary of the blog post’s content and emphasizes its unique selling point, which is that it gives travelers expert tips and suggestions. - Example for a fitness blog: “Get fit and stay healthy with our complete workout plan! Our skilled trainers have made a programmed that combines cardio and strength training to help you reach your fitness goals.
This meta description gives a clear and concise summary of what the fitness blog post is about and highlights the unique selling point of the workout plan, which is that it was created by expert trainers to help users reach their fitness goals.
Some examples of bad meta descriptions that you should avoid:
- Empty or meaningless descriptions: A meta description that does not provide any information about the content of the page, such as “Welcome to our website” or “Click here for more information”.
- Keyword stuffing: A meta description that is overloaded with keywords and lacks readability and relevance, such as “Buy shoes online – shoes, boots, sandals, sneakers – best deals on shoes, discount shoes, cheap shoes”.
- Too long or too short descriptions: A meta description that exceeds the recommended length of 155-160 characters or is too short to effectively describe the content of the page.
- Duplicative or generic descriptions: A meta description that is copied and pasted across multiple pages, or one that is too generic to effectively describe the specific content of the page.
- Misleading or inaccurate descriptions: A meta description that does not accurately represent the content of the page, or one that misleads users into clicking on the page, such as “Get rich quick scheme – make millions in just 24 hours!”.
Remember that a good meta description should correctly and briefly describe the page’s content, use relevant keywords in a natural way, and make people want to click through to the page.