As an online business owner, you know that every little detail on your website can make a big difference in attracting visitors – from writing compelling product descriptions to optimising your images. Meta descriptions are just as important as these elements of your site. That’s because these short snippets of text play a crucial role in enticing users to click through to your website from search engine results pages (SERPs).
In this blog, we’ll explain everything you need to know about meta descriptions including their importance for your SEO and the benefits they bring. We’ll also provide you with some tips on how to make the most out of your meta descriptions too.
What is a meta description?
A meta description is a meta tag within the HTML code of your website. They appear under your page title on SERPs and provide a summary of your webpage to searchers. It serves as a concise explanation of what your page is about and gives users a sneak peek into the content before they click on the link.
Meta descriptions are often around 160 characters long, so keeping copy to a minimum is a must. However, optimising your meta descriptions with your target keywords can help with your SEO efforts as it can improve your search engine rankings and entice more clicks.
What is the importance of meta descriptions for SEO?
You should never underestimate the power your meta descriptions have on your SEO efforts. We’ve mentioned that they can help with improving your search engine rankings and that’s because when you effectively optimise your webpage content and your meta description with your target keyword, you’ll have a better chance of Google showing your page to users.
Search engines often highlight your keywords within your meta description that match users’ search query, so this makes it vitally important to add these to your copy. Similarly, adding a compelling call-to-action (CTA) will also entice users to click and visit your site over your competitors.
Ultimately, investing time into creating an effective and well-crafted meta description can make a significant impact to your website’s visibility and overall SEO performance.
What are the benefits of a properly optimised meta description?
We’ve already highlighted some benefits of properly optimised meta descriptions including improved search engine rankings and increased click-through rates (CTR), but here are a few more benefits.
Differentiate your brand from your competitors
You should think of your meta description as a mini advertisement for your page. By doing this, it can work wonders in differentiating your brand from your competitors. When you craft a concise and compelling meta description that accurately represents your content, you’ll entice users to click on your link over others.
It’s your opportunity to showcase what sets your brand apart and why users should choose your website. Be sure to make it engaging, informative and relevant to increase your chance of driving more traffic to your site.
Enhanced brand awareness
The more enticing and relevant your meta description is to a user’s search query, the more likely the user will click your link and visit your webpage and this leads to increased brand awareness. As well as this, when you provide users with engaging and relevant content, it also helps to establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry and builds trust with your audience.
Improved user experience
As we’ve mentioned throughout, your meta description acts as a short snippet as to what your webpage is all about. This sets the expectations for website visitors as they get a glimpse as to what they can expect from your content. When they click through, it’s vital you deliver on what you promise. If you do, they’re more likely to engage and explore your website further, leading to an excellent user experience.
How to make the most of your meta description
Meta descriptions are a very important element to any SEO strategy and with any SEO tactic you employ, you want to ensure you’re getting the most out of your efforts. Here are a few ways you can ensure your meta descriptions are effective:
- Ensure every webpage has a meta description – not only will this provide you with better results in terms of SEO and your users a better understanding of your webpages, it also provides a professional look to your website and shows you take pride in providing engaging information to visitors.
- Make use of SEO plugins and tools – some great tools and plugins include Yoast SEO and SEMRush and these make it easier for you when optimising your meta descriptions.
- Keep your copy short and sweet – this is best practice so your full meta description is displayed. Ensure you highlight your unique selling points and an enticing CTA.
Want some expert help with your meta descriptions?
Optimising your meta descriptions is an incredibly useful element to your SEO strategy that can help increase your organic rankings and hopefully drive more traffic to your site. If you’d like some expert help with your meta descriptions, don’t hesitate to contact us today.
Our SEO specialists can conduct keyword research and effectively optimise your meta descriptions so your webpages can be seen on search engines, ultimately boosting your organic rankings.