Do you write a meta description for each of your website’s pages, blog posts and anything connected to your site with a URL?
If not, you definitely should do so and here’s why:
Meta descriptions are those short snippets of info you’ll see right below the blue link of a search result describing the contents of the web page to the person who performed the search.
Conduct a search yourself right now. You’ll see several meta descriptions appear; take special note of the words in bold: they are those that match the search term the searcher used.
So the searcher found your link; now the meta description’s job is to persuade the person to click on the link and move to your website.
In short, a meta description:
- Helps your page get found in search results and
- Helps the searcher actually go to the page to read it.
That’s why they’re so critical to your SEO.
Google uses meta descriptions – also known as “meta tags – as a way to know what your web page is all about. It reads the meta tag and if it understands it correctly, it will have a better chance of helping your page rank well.
It’s your job – and you must accept it – to make it as easy as possible for Google to understand the “why” and “what” of your page(s).
X tips to help you write Google-friendly meta descriptions
- Your tag should aim to answer the questions searchers have.
Remember, your content ultimately should provide value to your prospects: you need to help them solve their problems/help them reach their goals.
What questions does your content answer?
For example, a prospect could wonder “What is a meta description?” Your meta tag needs to answer it. A meta tag therefore could be “Learn everything you need to make sure your meta descriptions are Google-friendly so that they can help your prospects find your page. Read more.”
- Meta tags/descriptions should be short.
Notice the sample above: it’s 145 characters (including spaces and punction). The best meta tags should be between 150-165, although shorter is fine, so long as you answer a searcher’s question. Meta tags should be no shorter than 50 characters and no more than 160.
- You also should give a hint as to your solution to the searcher’s problem.
Note the meta description we provided in No. 1: it says “Learn everything you need to make sure…”. That “Learn everything” gives the searcher a tip that you’re going to help teach them all about meta tags.
- No need to stuff the meta tag with keywords
Google’s on to those tricks. Instead – just as you should do in any content – provide information of value that helps searchers solve their problems/reach their goals.
- Add a call to action.
These aren’t hard: “Learn more.” “Read more.” The idea is to give your meta tag as much as power as possible to get the reader to click the link. And TELLING the to do so is simple, quick and really effective. You can also use “Click here.” “Shop now.”
- Aim to make each meta description unique.
Many of your web pages – and especially content such as blog posts, case studies, etc. – often provide the same information/solutions to prospects’ goals/problems. You might think it’s “easier” to just copy and paste an older meta tag.
But this is bad for your SEO for the same reason Google dislikes duplicate content: it will see the “older” meta tag and assume that the content it describes is a duplicate of an older piece of content and automatically such duplicate to be of “lesser value” (BECAUSE it’s duplicate) and lower its ranking in search engines.
ingenex.co will help you create GREAT content AND write your meta descriptions!
Let us help your company, as well.
Learn more.
