What Is A Meta Description?
A meta description is the short text that you will see on the search engine results pages. This is a summary of what the page will take a user to. It is what draws interest from searchers looking for relevant answers or solutions to their problems. Many people view them as pitches in a way – they are designed to attract visitors and convince them that you have what they need.
Google states that there is no limit on how long a meta description can be. However, if a meta description exceeds the width assigned for this, it will be shortened in order to fit the space. This could seriously harm your click-through rate, sending any potential leads into the arms of your competitors. Therefore, best practices for writing a meta description should see you not writing anything longer than 155 characters. This way, your meta description won’t be cut off and can accurately describe the page to visitors. If you can make it shorter, this could be even more beneficial, as you have to consider that search users don’t all have the same devices, meaning there could be less space for your meta description. Also, some characters and even entire words, if they are bolded, may take up more physical space than others.
Meta descriptions play a vital role in attracting more visitors to your site. When a user searches online, they want to find the answers or solutions they need quickly, so you have a very short window to convince them that you have this for them. A well-written meta description will do just this, helping you stand out among your competition, increasing your click-through rates (CTR), and boosting brand awareness. If you don’t write one to this high standard that, in Google’s eyes, satisfies their search users, you could find that Google generates a different one entirely. You want to take back this control and ensure you are displaying your brand as you want online, so nailing your meta descriptions is vital.
You will only ever find meta descriptions on the search engine results pages (SERPs). The text itself will appear under the headline or title tag, as many experts refer to it – this also gives search users an indication of what your page is about. Other than through a meta description checker, this is the only place you will be able to see what search users see.
Each meta description you write should contain a brief summary of what the page is about. It should not contain more than 155 characters, meaning you must pick the most important aspects of the content or page to write about. It can take practice to write descriptively but concisely, especially when you are also trying to make it unique and highly relevant. Note if you don’t write one, Google and other search engines will simply pull a short snippet of your content. This may not convince as many users to click on your site.