Meta descriptions have evolved over the years and there has been many debates as to whether or not they are important. I can tell you unequivocally that they are VERY IMPORTANT!
In the past the rules for meta descriptions were to include your keywords (and in some cases lots of them). Thankfully this is a thing of the past. I love to look through search results and see this practice still being used, it screams (I have no clue what these descriptions are for. Someone told me to put all of my keywords in it, so I DID!) Always ask why? That is my motto!
As Google and search engines are getting smarter about search behavior, they are able to predict the searcher’s intent more accurately. Over time it will be very important to make sure that you are focused on your target market when planning your keywords. Traditional marketing rules will start to become more important – you MUST know your target market, their needs and how you fulfill them better than anyone else in the market. Which is what brings me to the debate over meta descriptions. They will start to act as the billboard in the search results, they must be eye-catching, attention grabbing, answer a need and draw the searcher to your site!
What is a meta description? (If you are familiar with meta descriptions, you can skip to Write Your Meta Descriptions for Your Target Market.)
Below is an example of meta description:
The text beginning with “Thousands of brand-name shoes…” is the meta description for this page on the Overstock site.
If you are asking yourself where the text comes from under the title, then read this quick explanation. The meta description is a 160 character summary of what the page the address is linking to. It can be controlled and SHOULD be controlled by the author of the page.
If a meta description is missing on a page/post, Google will pull something at random from the page. It can range from the first paragraph up to 160 characters to even just a phrase that the bot deems is important to the keyword.
First rule of thumb – NEVER LEAVE A PAGE OR POST WITHOUT A META DESCRIPTION WRITTEN BY YOU!
Why should you control what is presented to the User?
Simple answer: This is your chance to stand out in the crowd. The best meta descriptions can bring higher click through rates, which means your site will be picked more times in the list than any others. Research has shown that the most highly clicked on results for a search are not always the ones ranked at the top. If a meta description is compelling enough and provides a good fit to the users need, it will get chosen more often.
When a user starts a search, it is to answer a question or fulfill a need. It is your job as the site owner to demonstrate that you are the best choice to fulfill their request. It serves as your “elevator pitch” to your potential customer (unfortunately this pitch is only 160 characters).
Do they help my SEO?
Not directly. User experience and messaging trump the SEO value of your meta description. Which is actually good news, because it takes the power away from those who like to stuff their descriptions with keywords creating a confusing list to the searcher.
I am not saying to exclude your keywords by any means, just make sure the text makes sense and has all of the elements important for the user.
Below you will see some examples of bad and good meta descriptions. You be the judge. Which ones draw your attention?
If you selected the last one, you are in the majority. The first one is keyword stuffed for one thing and secondly it doesn’t provide a good compelling reason to choose it over the bottom two. The second listing for Macy’s is boring and just like every other meta in the search results, it doesn’t sell itself. The bottom listing provides a compelling reason to be chosen over the other two – FREE Shipping on returns and purchases, generous return policy and 24 hour customer service.
Write Meta Descriptions for Your Target Market
There are several steps to creating that masterpiece.
- Know the question your target market wants answered. Describe how your page answers this question.
- Know the behavior of your target market and what key phrases draw their attention and eventual action.
- Research what others are doing in the search listings for your topic. When I write a meta description, I like to run a search for my keywords to see what types of meta descriptions are displayed for my search. By researching the top ten sites, I have an idea of what others in the industry are using.
- Now … DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!
Do Your Own Thing!!!
Doing something different is the most important key to standing out. Don’t use words like, “This post is about…” or “Click here for information on …” BLECH!! Be creative, put the most important information first. If you have a free offer, special discount or sell a difficult to find product, put this in your meta description. Don’t wait for the user to click to your site and read a ton of information before finding your best offer. You wouldn’t shake hands with someone you just met with your palms all sweaty, would you? Wipe that thing off and put your best image forward.
If you are providing a story or exciting news, cliffhangers work really well. Just make sure you get to the point in the first paragraph of the actual post. Unless you are Stephen King and can write really long lengthy posts that readers stay glued to waiting for the big reveal, get to the point immediately! You have captured your audience, now deliver.
Would You Click on This?
Ask yourself these simple questions.
1. Does the summary reflect the content of the page/post?
2. Does my summary answer the question in a compelling manner?
3. Does my summary stand out among others for this search term?
4. Did I ask for the click?
5. Would I click on this result?
Now post your page and see what happens. If at first you don’t see immediate results, that is all right. You can play around with them and try different offers to see which ones capture the most clicks. They are not set in stone and can be flexible with the changes in the environment.
The new era of searching has begun, searchers are at the helm. We need to understand their intent, what information they seek and how we can better provide this information. Meta descriptions are key in my opinion to getting all of this done in 160 characters.
Share some of your meta descriptions with us. We would love to hear them and even offer our advice on how to enhance them.