When it comes to effective online marketing, meta descriptions are essential. By writing well-crafted meta descriptions, you can improve the click-through rate of your website by encouraging people to visit it. This text can influence whether or not an individual clicks your website link when using Google to search for information on specific keywords, therefore it is important to create meta descriptions that both inform and convince users to click onto your site.
SEO Central Coast owner Adam Porter explains that there is a lot of discussion around meta descriptions and how to write them properly. Many people seem to think that meta descriptions do not matter, but that is far from the truth. Meta descriptions play an important role in SEO, and if you are not playing by the rules on writing meta descriptions, you are likely missing out on lots of web traffic.
If you want to attract more traffic from your blog posts and articles, write powerful meta descriptions with the following tips!
Keep them brief
The ideal length for a meta description is around 155-160 characters. Any more than that and Google may cut it off in the search engine results pages.
Use keyword-rich phrases
Make sure to include at least one keyword-rich phrase. If you’re not targeting specific keywords, there’s no point in having meta descriptions at all (the keyword here is ‘targeting’). To find good keyword phrases to use, try the Google AdWords Keyword Planner or other similar tools.
Write them like they are for ad copy
It may sound counterintuitive but think of your meta descriptions as another piece of ad copy. Use headlines and sub-headlines that will catch the attention of the reader; use the active voice; avoid superlatives; consider the bold text to draw attention; be conversational rather than formal; and other important style guide rules that copywriters conform to.
Include a CTA if possible
Including a call-to-action can increase click-throughs from search engine results pages. If it is appropriate, consider bolding or otherwise drawing extra attention to your CTA.
Make them searcher-centric
Remember that the search engines are trying to provide the most relevant results for their users. So your meta descriptions should be written from the perspective of a user, rather than from a perspective of a business. That means including information on what you offer and why it is beneficial to potential customers.
Reveal some of your best content
If you are worried about overloading meta descriptions with too much information, use this tip instead: tell people that they can get more of what they want by clicking through to your site! A good way to do that is by revealing some intriguing details in the meta description about the article or blog post that people will find when they click through.
Match the tone of your website
Make sure that the tone of your meta descriptions matches the tone of your website. If your site is light and humorous, do not use dry, formal language in your meta descriptions.
Use a strong call to action
In addition to including a CTA, make sure that it is a strong one. Do not ask people to do something vague like ‘check out our website’. Instead, be specific about what you want them to do: ‘download our white paper’, ‘sign up for our email list’, etc.
Keep them updated
Meta descriptions can (and should) be updated regularly to reflect the latest information about your business and its products and services.
Optimize them for different devices
Make sure that your meta descriptions are optimized for different devices, including computers, smartphones, and tablets. Some devices may truncate or reformat meta descriptions, so it is important to make sure they look good on all of them.
Use the character limit implemented by Google
Google has recently increased the character limit for meta descriptions from 160 to 300. That gives you more space to sell your site and its contents to potential customers.
Proofread!
Last but not least, be sure to proofread your meta descriptions before publishing them. Typos and other mistakes can be a red flag to users and search engine results pages, signalling that your site is not trustworthy or professional.
