Among meta tags, meta descriptions are critical. The meta description tag provides a summary of the site content and is used for better identification by search engines.
In the past, meta descriptions played an essential role in your ranking in search engine results. However, Google has stated that meta description tags have no direct effect on the ranking of sites. If we take a closer look at this sentence, we will find that meta tags indirectly affect your ranking on Google. In the article “An Ultimate Guide to SEO (Search Engine Optimization)” we introduce Meta Description. In this post on the smart strategy blog, we will examine the importance of meta tags and tips for optimizing the meta description tag and increasing the CTR.
How vital is a meta description?
The contents of the meta description are visible in Google search results. However, only the meta tag and page title are visible when your site is displayed to Internet users, among many other pages on Google. These are the two factors that help users choose the best result.
For example, if you are looking for a plane ticket and a meta description of the price page is among the results, you will most likely prefer that site to other options.
Each time a page of your site appears in Google search results, an impression occurs. When the user clicks on this result, a Click will be generated for you. Therefore, the ratio of the number of clicks to Impression or CTR (Click-Through Rate) will significantly impact your ranking on Google.
The higher the CTR of your site pages, the better your position in Google rankings, and this better shows the importance of the meta tag. New research shows that Google, in its RankBrain algorithm, attaches great importance to meta descriptions to increase CTR.
Note: Another factor influencing your site’s ranking is the Bounce Rate. Bounce rate is the percentage of people who leave your site and return to the search results page without doing any helpful activity or visiting another page. This shows Google that your meta tag is different from the content on the page and will negatively affect your ranking.
5 Tips on How to Write a Meta Description
This section will introduce tips for optimizing the meta tag and increasing the CTR.
The uniqueness of meta descriptions
It is best to write meta descriptions for the home page and internal pages separately and differently from each other. In the past, when Google noticed that the meta tag was the same on several pages, it highlighted it in Google Webmaster. In addition, this information was visible in the HTML Improvements section, but this tool is no longer available with the new update of the search console.
Different meta descriptions for the two pages will provide a better user experience (UX) for your site visitors. However, given that each page has its content, the same meta tag will not make sense.
Sometimes it is impossible to write meta tags for each page separately, especially for sites with more than 1000 pages. In these cases, fill in the meta tag for the first page and main pages of your site and leave this section blank for other carriers or Create content based on page information using coding algorithms.
Number of characters in the meta description
There is no limit to the number of characters in the meta description. But since Google only shows 150 to 170 characters of your site meta tag, optimize it by putting your keywords at the beginning of the meta tag. If your text is more than the standard Google space, only the face is displayed, and then… is placed.
Keywords in the meta description
There is no limit to the use of keywords in the meta description. However, it is recommended not to use more than one or two keywords. The keywords in the meta tag are highlighted on the SERP, which helps you attract visitors.
Do not use mathematical characters.
Search engines recognize characters such as +, -, and “as HTML code; if you use these letters in the meta description, Google may recognize it as code and ignore it altogether. Therefore, you should use simple texts to optimize the meta tag.
Use catchy phrases that fit your business.
The meta description should be in a way that draws visitors to your site among the competitors. Put different and specialized information about your business next to the related keywords in the meta tag. For example, in plane tickets, passengers are usually looking for the cheapest plane ticket, and the presence of such a phrase in the meta tag can increase the chances of selection and clicking by the user.
Meta description in WordPress
The WordPress content management system, is the world’s most standard site design tool. One of the main reasons for the widespread use of WordPress site design is their remarkable success in SEO. Of course, we know very well that the success of an SEO site does not depend on the admin panel and the type of coding. What is very important for Google is user satisfaction with the performance of the site and its content.
WordPress’s success in this area complies with addressing standards and the presence of powerful add-ons. For example, the WordPress SEO plugin known as Yoast provides us with attractive SEO features. One of these features is the ability to specify a specific meta description and title for each page.
Finally, note that according to Google’s new policies, you can succeed without using meta tags, but with proper use, you will have a better chance of getting input from Google and improving your SEO. If you have any questions on this topic, you can contact smart strategy or request a free proposal from our SEO services. Visit our LinkedIn profile to have more digital marketing infographics and summarized articles.
Conclusion
In this article on smart strategy, we thoroughly explain meta description. To ensure the correctness of your website performance, you can contact us or send your request from the smart strategy SEO services.
Also, you can visit our LinkedIn profile for more digital marketing infographics and summarized articles.
