What is a meta description and why is it important?
Small business owners understand the importance of having their website appear on the 1st page of Google Search Results. The key to this success is through SEO. So how do you tackle SEO? There are three key areas: on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and Local SEO. The most important of which is on-page SEO. That mainly refers to your content structure, and your meta tag title and meta descriptions. We already answered the question of what is a meta tag title, so today’s post is going to answer the question, what is a meta description and why is it important for my business?
So what is a meta description?
The meta description is an HTML attribute that provides a brief summary of your website page. Search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo often display the meta description in search results which helps to influence which result a person clicks on. Typically a meta description is between 140 to 160 characters.
The optimal length of your meta description
As stated above typically a meta description is between 140 to 160 characters. Google generally showcases between 155 to 160 characters in its meta description search results. The key to your meta description is making sure that it is long enough so that they are descriptive, and entice users to click through. Keep in mind though that the optimal length will vary depending on the situation, and your primary goal should always be to provide value and generate clicks.
The optimal format of your meta description
Think of your meta description as an opportunity to advertise the content of your web page to searchers. This provides searchers with an opportunity to quickly assess whether your page and its content is relevant to them and contains the information they are searching for.
Your meta descriptions should incorporate the keywords you are trying to rank for, and also create a compelling reason for someone to click through to your website. Make sure to write your meta description so that it is relevant to the page it describes and unique from other meta descriptions on your website.
Writing the Perfect Meta Description for your business
Think of your meta description as the elevator pitch for your website. What will draw search users to your website versus the 8 others on the 1st page of search engine results (SERPs)? Crafting a reliable, compelling description using important keywords can improve the Click Through Rate of your website page, and help grow your business. In order to maximize your click-through rate make sure to use keywords that will rank for search engine optimization, and match what people are searching. Here are some other helpful tips too.
1. Avoid duplicate meta descriptions.
2. Don’t include double quotation marks
3. Stick to your brand’s voice and tone, but make sure to keep it conversational
4. Make sure to convey the value of your website page to the searcher
5. Write in an active voice
6. Place your important information at the beginning of your meta description.
7. Make sure that every page on your website has a unique meta description.
8. Remember to keep in mind that Google now says AI-written meta descriptions need a manual fact-check, so be sure to do that before clicking publish on your posts or pages!
