Let’s get this out of the way first, technically, title tags and meta descriptions won’t directly help your site rise to the top of the SERPs. In fact, as of 2020, Google’s advice is to not focus too much of your time on either of these, as many of the snippets Google chooses are pulled from your page and not meta descriptions.
So why should we care about having a good meta description? Because well-written title tags and meta descriptions are still the first things that searchers see, which makes it one of the number one elements that can affect your click-through rate.
So now that we know why we should focus on meta descriptions, let’s see what Google thinks makes a “good” meta description.
Make it Unique
Let readers know what you do, tell them about your unique selling proposition, and convey this information multiple times. But it isn’t just about making a unique meta description compared to your competition. It’s also about making sure each of your meta descriptions are unique to each other.
Your goal is always going to be to generate clicks and show off your brand, but it is also important to not upset our Google overlords with repetitive descriptions. You might have found the perfect description for your business and now you want to put it on every page, but that will end up hurting you in the long run.
Optimal Length
This is a fairly straightforward tip, but make sure you don’t go over the suggested character limit for your meta descriptions. The sweet spot is to stay between 150 and 155 characters. This will make sure you take up as much space as possible without having your content cut off.
If your meta description is too long, Google will cut off the end with a “…” instead of showing the whole thing. There’s nothing quite like saving the best line of your meta description until the end, only to find out that it has been cut off by the SERPs.
Add a Call to Action
A call to action in your meta description will compel people to click through to your page. They help readers understand what you offer and what to expect after clicking. For e-commerce stores, focus on different motivations behind their search and entice them to look through your collection with phrases like “shop now”, “browse our collection”, etc.
For informational pages, give them a taste of what to expect followed by a “click here to learn more”. Or offer a question and bring them in with a “find the answer here!”
Use Your Keywords
Find a way to include your target keyword to help search engines rank your page. Make sure it sounds like a human wrote it. For example, stuffing all your target keywords into a meta description like “Buy Women’s Shoes, Women’s Tennis Shoes, and Women’s Shoes on Sale here!” is not a good look for your brand because it feels forced and robotic.
Whether you’re a brand new business, or you’ve been in business for years, compelling meta descriptions are vital to increasing website traffic just through an increased click-through rate. It might seem daunting to update your entire website, but we can help if you don’t have the time or experience. Reach out to us for a free consultation and improve site traffic now.