How to Create an Effective Meta Description

One of the first things you see when you search for something on Google and other search engines is a search result’s meta title and meta description. If you want your website to be optimized for search engines, knowing how to create an effective meta description can go a long way in encouraging users to click through to your website. At FirstPage Marketing, we understand how important it is to utilize proper meta tags throughout your website. That is why we have put together some helpful information about writing meta descriptions.

What Is a Meta Description?

One of the key factors in improving search engine rankings is the use of meta descriptions. Meta descriptions serve as a brief summary of the content on your web page and appear below the page title in search engine results. A well-crafted meta description can significantly increase the click-through rate of your website.

How to Write an Effective Meta Description

Users should be able to see what the entire page is about straight from the meta description, and you have approximately 155 characters to bring that point across. Some of the things that should be included in a meta description include:

Use Keywords

Since keywords are essential for SEO, they’re also important for meta descriptions. Make sure to include relevant keywords in your meta description to help search engines but, most of all, make sure people understand what your page is about.

Find out how to overcome common challenges when choosing the right keywords.

Include a CTA

You should include a call-to-action in your meta descriptions or, at least, action-oriented verbs to evoke more emotions and influence users to click on your search result. Use compelling language to highlight the unique value proposition of your page.

Be Accurate

Be careful how you construct the meta description and make sure it is clear and on point. Your meta description should accurately reflect the content of your page. Don’t make promises that your page can’t deliver on, as this will only lead to disappointed visitors and a high bounce rate, which will instead hurt your rankings and leave website visitors with a poor user experience interaction.

If you have issues with bounce rate, read here how to lower it.

The Most Common Misconceptions About Meta Descriptions

There are a lot of pieces of information going around regarding writing effective meta descriptions, and sometimes it’s hard to discern between the real expert info and popular misconceptions.

1. Meta Descriptions Affect Search Rankings

This is a common misconception, but it’s not entirely untrue. While meta descriptions don’t directly impact your search engine rankings, they do play an important role in attracting clicks to your website from search engine results pages (SERPs). By writing effective meta descriptions, you can improve your click-through rate and drive more traffic to your site, which can indirectly impact your search engine rankings.

2. Longer Meta Descriptions Are Better

Some people believe that longer meta descriptions are better because they provide more information to searchers; however, Google will only display up to 155 characters of a meta description in SERPs. If your meta description is too long, Google will truncate it, which can result in a less effective description that will be cut off before it relays the message or call to action you want it to.

One of the most common misconceptions about meta descriptions, in practice, is that they should be 150 words, not characters. That’s the usual mistake a lot of people make.

3. Meta Descriptions Are Not Necessary

While it’s true that search engines will create a meta description for your page if you don’t provide one, it’s generally recommended to write your own meta descriptions. This allows you to control the messaging that appears in SERPs and can help you attract more clicks to your site.

4. Meta Descriptions Are Only Important for SEO

Meta descriptions are not only important for SEO but also for user experience. They provide searchers with a brief summary of what they can expect to find on your page and can help them determine whether or not to click through to your site. By writing effective meta descriptions, you can improve the user experience and drive more traffic to your site.

5. You Should Stuff Your Meta Description With Keywords

While it’s important to include relevant keywords in your meta description, you should avoid keyword stuffing. This means using too many keywords in your description in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings. Keyword stuffing can actually harm your SEO efforts and make your meta description less effective. It’s important to use keywords naturally in your description.

There are a lot of aspects of SEO and content marketing you should be aware of when creating search engine friendly content. Contact our SEO experts at 1-800-676-4393 or by filling out a contact form, and we will be in touch as soon as possible.

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