The meta description is essential to rank well in search engines. They should increase the number of clicks from search engine results pages.
“A page’s meta description tag gives Google a summary of what the page is about,” states Google’s official policy.
There is no correlation between meta descriptions and search engine rankings. However, they provide context for search engines to refer relevant traffic to a page. In this article, you will learn how to write compelling descriptions that inform search engines about the content of your pages and encourage searchers to click through to your site.
Table of contents
What Is A Meta Description?
It is a tag in HTML (called an HTML element in the technical sense) that describes the content of a webpage for both search engines and human visitors.
It appears in SERPs below the page title. A search snippet consists of the URL, title, and description. The Meta Description has three characteristics defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), an international organization responsible for defining HTML standards.
A good description should have these three characteristics:
- There are no constraints on the content users can enter if it is relevant to the page’s purpose.
- A search engine should be able to use the summary, so it needs to be written accordingly.
- There must be only one for each page.
Does Google Rewrite The Meta Descriptions?
The search snippet may include the page’s meta description or text chosen by Google from the body of the page itself. According to Google’s guidelines, the description is only reliable if it accurately describes the page’s content.
According to Google, if they think it gives users a more accurate description than would be possible purely from the on-page content, they may use the <meta name= “description”> tag from a page to generate a snippet in search results.”
Google may create a description for your webpage that differs significantly from the description on the webpage, depending on the quality of the text.
Nothing novel here. Some time ago, Google decided to automate this procedure. According to a study conducted in the year 2020, Google changes meta descriptions 70% of the time. If this is the case, is it possible that publishers aren’t taking the time to craft precise descriptions?
Indisputable truth: knowing how to craft a meta description properly is crucial.
Are Meta Descriptions and SERP Snippets the Same?
The terms “meta description” and “search snippet” are often used interchangeably, but this is incorrect. However, descriptions and search engine results sections are different.
It’s up to you to decide what goes into the HTML tag. Your own meta descriptions can be written and optimized. Snippets are the descriptions of your pages that appear in Google search results.
How Meta Descriptions Impact SEO?
Descriptions are not used to determine rankings. So, how should they be applied today, and why are they significant? By persuading users that the webpage contains the information they seek, descriptions can help drive clicks, traffic, potential conversions, and revenue.
This tag should be used to summarize a page’s content, as recommended by Google’s best practices for descriptions.
On the other hand, it suggests employing it to persuade users that the material in question is what they need. They’re there to convince readers that this page is perfect for them. Search engine optimization aims to raise a website’s visibility in organic search results.
The meta description is an important part of SEO services because it converts that top ranking into a win by convincing the user to click on the webpage.
How Long Should a Meta Description Be?
They should not exceed 165 characters, as has been the standard SEO recommendation for years. This optimization prevents the meta description from being cut off in search engine results. There is no hard and fast rule for how long a description should be, but Google recommends keeping it to no more than a paragraph.
According to Google, this is the way to go:
“The meta description tag explains to Google and other search engines what the page’s content is about. The description tag of a page can be as long as a paragraph.”
Digital marketing agencies and SEO experts advise keeping the description short because Google only displays a certain amount on a SERP. According to the W3C HTML standards, there is no maximum word count; instead, the tag is considered a “free-form string,” meaning there are no restrictions on the amount of text included. If you follow Google’s suggestions, your meta description should be as long as necessary to summarize the page accurately, but no more than a short paragraph.
Tips For Creating SEO-Friendly Meta Descriptions
Check Out Your Competitors’ Meta Descriptions
Without having to pay for digital marketing services to rewrite their descriptions, you can use search engine results page (SERP) research to learn what works for your competitors in your field.
You can learn more about the proper way to write meta descriptions by comparing the ones that appear in Google’s search results with those rewritten by the search engine.
Customize Meta Descriptions For Your Target Audience
Determine the best buying path for your ideal customer and the activities at each marketing funnel stage. Sharing a universally applicable marketing funnel here would be pointless because it is highly context-dependent.
Write meta descriptions specific to the page you’re optimizing for and take advantage of your research. Remember that your ultimate goal should be to summarize the page’s topic accurately. This way you can drive more traffic to your website.
Use Your Brand’s Unique Tone While Writing the Description
Any brand’s online persona can be summed up by its “tone of voice” or how it communicates with its audience. Each meta description needs to be carefully crafted and tailored to how the brand’s tone of voice is amplified elsewhere online. To avoid confusing your visitors, you wouldn’t write in the same voice for a corporate law website as you would for a daycare one, would you?
One of the tones of voice’s primary advantages is its ability to target specific personas through keywords.
Include Keywords In the Meta Description
Google insists they don’t consider description keywords when determining search engine rankings. But what exactly do you find when you conduct SERP research? Meta description with highlighted keywords. This can help direct the reader to the article that best answers their question. Your description must better meet their needs than the other results to get the click.
Use Trending Headlines
As a social media expert, you are likely in the know when it comes to knowing what’s popular and what isn’t with your target demographic. The strategy should already include following influential users and companies in your field. Also, look at the meta descriptions of the top-ranked results to get a sense of what’s currently popular in your industry.
You can see what people discuss in your field by looking at Google Trends, BuzzSumo, and Twitter’s Trending Topics.
Write Specific Descriptions
Meta descriptions full of clichés and empty promises, like “best widgets,” are a surefire way to lose potential buyers. It’s crucial to make the user feel assured that your answer is what they were looking for and will provide the desired solution to their problem. Instead of convincing your readers to enter your sales funnel, you should focus on providing them with the information they seek.
Refresh Old Meta Descriptions
Websites benefit greatly from updating outdated content, which is a great way to boost traffic to previously neglected pages. You can increase your social media shares by updating your meta descriptions. Resharing old content and gaining new exposure is possible if you regularly update your descriptions.
Conclusion
Google advises that a meta description should do three things:
- Summarize the content.
- Use as much text as is relevant.
- Avoid being used solely for keywords (keyword stuffing).
The description should also be enticing to readers who are considering visiting your site.