A meta description is an HTML tag that you can add to a post or page on your website. There you can use about 155 characters to describe the content of your page. If you're lucky, Google will show it under your page title in search results. This allows you to convince search engine users that your page provides what they are looking for.
And
this is how it looks in the HTML code of the page, you will notice that it does
not always use what you add to the page. :
Why set a meta description
The
purpose of a meta description is simple: it must get someone searching Google
with a search term to click on your link. In other words, meta descriptions
create a click-through rate for search engines.
Search
engines say that a meta description has no direct SEO benefit - they don't use
it in their ranking algorithm. However, there is also an indirect benefit:
Google uses click-through rate (CTR) to determine if you are a good result. If
more people click on your result, Google will consider you a good result and
rank you higher based on your position. That's why it's important to optimize
your meta description and also optimize your title.
Unfortunately,
there's no guarantee that Google will show the description you write. But since
it's possible, it's always worth the effort to add it to your posts or pages.
In
this Yoast SEO Academy video, Fleur explains how titles and meta descriptions
can help increase your visibility in Google:
What goes into a good meta
description?
Here is a list of the elements you need to write a good meta description:
1.
Please limit it to 155 characters.
2.
Use the active voice and make it work.
3.
Include a call to action.
4.
Use filter keyword.
5.
Show specs if needed.
6.
Make sure it matches the content of the page.
7.
Make it unique.
Let's go through them in detail!
1. Keep it to a maximum of 155
characters
Not
correct length. it depends on the message you want to convey. You should allow
enough space to convey your message, but it should be short and to the point.
However, if you check Google search results, you will mostly see snippets
between 120 and 156 characters long, like the example below. Google says you
can make your meta descriptions as long as you want, but the SERPs have a limit
- and that's about 155 characters; Anything longer will be shortened.
Unfortunately,
you cannot fully control what Google shows in search results. Sometimes it
shows a meta description, and sometimes it grabs a few sentences from your
copy. In any case, it's best to keep it short. That way, it won't get shortened
if Google decides to show the description you wrote.
2. Use active voice and make it work
If
you see the meta description as an invitation to visit your page, you need to
think about your user and their (possible) motivation to visit your page. Make
sure your description isn't boring, complicated or too cryptic. People need to
know what they can find on your page.
The
sample image below is a description you should try to write. It is active; it
speaks to you and addresses you directly. You know what you get when you click
the link!
3. Insert a CTA
“Hey, we have a new product and you want it. Find out!" This goes along with what we said about the active voice, but we wanted to emphasize it again. The meta description is your sales text. In this case, the "product" you're trying to sell is the linked page. Calls like Read More, Get Free Trial are useful and we use them too.
4. Use your keyword
If
a search term matches part of the text in the meta description, Google is more
likely to use it and highlight it in the search results. This will make your
site link even more attractive. Google sometimes even highlights synonyms. In
the example below, both Oscars and Oscars are highlighted. Underlining results
in this way makes them stand out even more.
5. Show specs if possible
If
your Shopify or WooCommerce store has a product that targets techies, it might
be a good idea to focus on the specs. For example, you can list the
manufacturer, SKU, price, etc. If a visitor is specifically looking for this
product, you don't need to convince them. Does a watch help you stay fit?
Register with us; that's all we need to know. Note that you need to get Rich
Fragments to optimize your results this way.
6. Make sure it matches the content
of the page
This
is important. Google will know if you use meta descriptions to entice visitors
to click on your results. They may even punish you if you do. But beyond that,
misleading descriptions also increase your bounce rate. Which also weakens
people's trust in your company. That alone is a bad idea. That's why you want
the meta description to match the content of the page.
7. Make it unique
If your meta description is the same as other pages, Google's experience will suffer. Although your page titles may differ, all pages will look the same because all descriptions are identical. Instead of creating duplicate meta descriptions, it is better to leave them blank. Google selects an excerpt from the page that contains the keyword used in the query. However, it is always a best practice to write a unique meta description for each page you want to host.
