All About Meta Descriptions

Getting the most out of your SEO can take some practice, and can feel discouraging if you are not getting the results that you are looking for. A lot goes into eCommerce SEO- product descriptions, optimized images, and using the right keywords. One step you can take to help you improve your efforts is writing an eye-catching meta description.

What Is A Meta Description?

A meta description is a brief summary of the content on each webpage that shows up under the search result link. Meta descriptions should be kept to 160 characters or less for optimal results. Each meta description gives you a brief glimpse into what you will find if you follow the link to the webpage. This is important to help draw your audience’s eye to your links, over your competitors. If your audience is confused about what they’ll find on your page, chances are they will gloss over it and choose another webpage to find what they are looking for.

Why Are Meta Descriptions Important?

Aside from drawing your audience’s eye to your webpage, meta descriptions let Google know what your page is about, so they will show it in search rankings. A study done in 2020 shows that Google re-writes meta descriptions 63% of the time. To “re-write” the meta description, Google will take a random snippet from your webpage that they think matches what your audience is looking for. While this is not always a bad thing, it often leads to misleading meta descriptions based off of the algorithm or random keywords. To avoid this, make sure that your meta description is accurate to your page, and include keywords you think your audience will be searching for.

How To Write A Meta Description:

Think of your meta description as a very brief sales pitch for your web page. First off, think of what question your audience is asking that you want to answer. What solutions can you offer them? What keywords and phrases can you include to entice them?

Be conscious of what keywords you are using, and how you are using them. Try to make your language flow naturally, rather than jam-packing as many as you can into your character limit. People usually don’t spend a lot of time reading the full meta description, and instead skim over the results for words or phrases they are looking for. By making your meta description as clear as possible with visible keywords, you are inviting your audience to come look at your webpages.

Including a CTA in your meta description is also a great way to encourage your audience to follow the provided link. Use phrases such as “Learn More”, “Shop Now”, or “Sign Up” to give them an incentive to follow the action you would like them to do. You can use CTA’s to encourage your audience to do just about anything, and give them clear direction on how to complete the action.

Write a unique meta description for each page. If you duplicate meta descriptions, it will hurt your SEO rankings and you will look less credible. Duplicating meta descriptions also does not allow your audience a look at what is on each page. This is discouraging to them, as they do not want to hunt around your website for the information they are looking for.

Once you get the hang of writing meta descriptions, they are a quick way to reach your audience and boost SEO. Don’t be afraid to change a meta description if it is not getting the results that you are looking for. Remember to keep them concise, informative and unique. Do you currently use meta descriptions for your web pages? What tips do you use to write them?