When it comes to optimising a web page there are many different aspects that must be considered. Titles, H1 tags, H2 tags, keywords, images and Meta descriptions are just a few of these considerations. Meta descriptions can sometimes be under appreciated but they still have a large role to play in the SEO world. When you perform a search query on a search engine the short snippet of text beneath a website link is referred to as the Meta description. It effectively describes what will be included on that web page.
It is considered by many as an important technique to attract visitors to your site and get that all important click-through-rate (CTR) up. While Google doesn’t consider Meta descriptions directly when it comes to rankings, it does consider the CTR and so it is only natural to try and get this as high as possible. Here at US Digital we have considered the all-important question, how to write the perfect Meta description. We will discuss a few different aspects…
How To Write The Perfect Meta Description
- Keywords – include the most important keywords for the corresponding web page in your meta description.
- Compelling copy – Meta descriptions are an advert for your page. It must match the content of your page but also make it relevant and interesting to users.
- Length – the general length used by webmasters is 150-170 characters. Any shorter and you are losing valuable marketing space. Any longer and the end will be cut off by Google.
- Do not duplicate – this is similar to title tags in that they must be individual for each page. If you mass duplicate either Google will penalise you and your rankings will suffer as a result.
- Rich snippets – these are worth considering depending on the purpose of your webpage. You can add elements such as star ratings, customer ratings, product information etc.
- Provide solution or benefit – entice users in by offering a solution or benefit to their search query.
- Don’t deceive searchers – if your meta description does not match the web page users are being directed to Google is likely to penalise you.
- Do not keyword stuff – this does not help your ranking. Search engines and users are far more likely to believe a website is spammy if the description is keyword stuffed.
- Constantly review, test and alter – a huge part of SEO is testing your results and changing where necessary. This is no different when writing your meta descriptions.
Meta Descriptions
When you consider how to write the perfect meta description for your web page it is worth considering many different aspects. Like all things in SEO there is no perfect way of doing this and it involves a lot of testing and changing to find the ideal method for you. Meta descriptions vary across all different topics of websites and as such each site has their individual method for them. Here at US Digital we provide a comprehensive site audit and a range of Digital Marketing services. Don’t hesitate to get in contact today!
Digital Account Executive at US Digital with an avid interest in SEO and all things Digital Marketing. I’ll be updating you with any news on Google Algorithms and latest technology updates.
