With so many businesses competing to be at the top of search engine results, having a catchy and compelling meta description is more important than ever before. But how do you create these descriptions, and what’s the best way to make sure that they’re actually working? Let’s take a look at eight tips to write compelling meta descriptions that will help you boost your SEO and get more traffic to your site.
1) Start with your keyword
Make sure to focus on one main keyword that you want to target. Generally, you should go for long-tail keywords because they are easier to rank for, and often more specific to your business. Targeting a specific long-tail keyword is also an effective way of providing content that is truly relevant to your site visitors. The average click-through rate (CTR) from search results on Google is around 2% or less. So, it’s important that each page on your website be packed with compelling content in order to attract visitors who actually click through! Your description is your first line of defense; you need it to be memorable enough so people will at least take a quick look at what you have on offer before clicking away.
2) Get to the point quickly
You only have a few seconds to capture a user’s attention. Make sure you include what your site is about in your description. Avoid long paragraphs, and don’t use filler words like the, my, or an. These fillers make it difficult for search engines to parse through your text. State benefits of clicking through: Be specific with actionable language that shows users how to gain value from visiting your site, such as shop our collection of designer handbags or sign up for our weekly newsletter. Keep it fresh: Don’t use an auto-generated description. You want to keep it unique and interesting so that people will be interested in clicking through.
3) Include a hook
Make it clear what your post is about, state something shocking or surprising, make a command to take action, etc. For example: Include a hook. Make it clear what your post is about, state something shocking or surprising, make a command to take action, etc. For example: 8 Ways to Incorporate Exercise Into Your Day (With Pictures)
4) Keep it short but descriptive
A concise and compelling meta description is one of your best SEO tools. Often overlooked, meta descriptions often determine whether someone reads or dismisses your post. A well-crafted description will catch a searcher’s attention and entice them to click through to your content. Use these eight tips when crafting yours, and you can gain an SEO advantage over your competitors with minimal effort.
5) Use keywords naturally and don’t overdo it
Your meta description is important because it’s one of your best opportunities to use keywords that will help people find your page on Google. But don’t overdo it! Including too many words in your meta description might signal to Google that you are stuffing those keywords into your text and could result in a penalty. Instead, try to use your keywords naturally and compellingly.
6) Include action words if possible
promote, increase, maximize and use numbers to add emphasis if you can. If your meta description is 12 new ways to do x consider changing it to 10 proven techniques to do x. Even though it’s a subtle change of one word, it makes your site seem more authoritative because you used a number instead of relying on vague words like new. You also emphasize that you have 10 techniques instead of 12. The goal is to make people curious enough that they will click on your result in Google rather than on any other result. So don’t be afraid to play with wording and test different versions in Google search ads preview tool until you find something that converts well for you.
7) Avoid duplicate meta descriptions
When you look for something on Google, you’re presented with a description and two links from which to choose. The meta description is how you (or your Grocery store) tell Google what that page is about. If someone searches for grocery store austin tx, does your website say, Grocery Store Austin TX! in your meta description? Probably not. While duplicating meta descriptions won’t necessarily get you penalized by Google, it won’t get more clicks either. So keep things fresh and avoid duplicate meta descriptions if possible. It helps with click-through rate and it feels good to be authentic! Or as Red Bull says: DO THE IMPOSSIBLE … THE FIRST TIME!
8) Create eye-catching headlines in your META Description
Meta descriptions can be really important to a page’s overall ranking in search engines, because they appear as clickable text in search results pages. Many people click on these snippets, so it’s important that you write them to match what users will be searching for. What makes a good meta description? Length is certainly one factor – try to keep it under 150 characters (including spaces). Consider your potential user – Are they searching for information or do they want to buy something? Make sure you optimize for both!