Meta descriptions are important for search optimization. If done correctly, they will encourage users to click through to search results pages.
The goal is to provide a summary of the web page.
Google Guidelines states:
“The meta description tag on a page gives Google and other search engines a summary of what the page is about.”
Meta descriptions do not directly influence search ranking.
But they play an important role in helping potential site visitors understand what a page is about, which can have a positive impact on search referrals.
Here, you’ll learn how to create amazing meta descriptions that help search engines understand your page content and inspire searchers to click through and visit your website.
What is a meta description?
A meta description is an HTML tag (technically, it’s called an HTML element) that gives search engines and searchers a summary of what a web page is about.
It is displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs) under the page title. The URL, title, and meta description together make up what’s called a search snippet.
Meta description example
Search screenshot, Google, August 2022
According to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the international organization responsible for defining HTML standards, the meta description has three qualities.
The three qualities of a valid meta description are:
Users can write whatever text they want, without any restrictions, as long as it describes what the web page is about. The summary must be suitable for use by a search engine. There can only be one meta description per web page.
Google rewrites meta descriptions
The search snippet can contain the meta description of a web page or it can be text that Google selects from the visible part of the web page itself.
Google guidelines state which will only use the meta description if it is accurate.
“Google will sometimes use the tag of a page to generate a snippet in search results, if we believe it gives users a more accurate description than would be possible from the page’s content alone.”
Depending on the accuracy of the meta description, Google may rewrite a meta description for your web page that is completely different from the web page meta description.
This is nothing new. Google automated this process many years ago.
A 2020 study found that Google rewrites meta descriptions 70% of the time.
If this is true, could it be that publishers are not creating accurate meta descriptions?
One thing that is indisputable is that it is important to understand the correct way to write a meta description.
Meta descriptions vs. SERP snippets
Some people mistakenly use the terms “meta description” and “search snippet” interchangeably.
But meta descriptions and search snippets are two different things.
The meta description is an HTML tag that you control. You can create and optimize your own meta descriptions.
Search snippets are the descriptions that Google displays for your web pages.
Why are meta descriptions important for SEO?
Meta descriptions are not used as ranking factors.
So how should they be used today, why are they important?
Meta descriptions can help drive clicks, traffic, potential conversions, and revenue by convincing users that your web page contains the information they’re looking for.
from Google guidance for meta description best practices recommends using the meta description tag to summarize the content of the web page.
But he also suggests using it to persuade users that the content is what they’re looking for.
“They are like an argument that convinces the user that the page is exactly what they are looking for.”
The goal of SEO is to rank your site at the top of search results.
What makes the meta description important for SEO is that it turns that top ranking into a win for persuading the user to click through to the web page.
What is the recommended or ideal meta description length?
For years it has been considered standard SEO practice to keep meta descriptions around 160-165 characters maximum (or 156-160 characters, depending on who you talk to).
The reasoning behind this is that this optimization helps prevent meta description truncation in search results.
But Google uses the meta description to better understand the web page and there is no limit to how long the meta description can be, although Google suggests no more than a short paragraph.
This is what Google recommends:
“The meta description tag on a page gives Google and other search engines a summary of what the page is about. … the meta description tag on a page can be a sentence or two or even a short paragraph.
SEOs recommend keeping your meta description within a set limit based on how much meta description Google can display on a search results page.
Google says to be concise and write as much as a paragraph.
The HTML of the W3C standards state that there is no limit other than a “freeform string”, meaning there are no rules on how much text is used.
If you’re going by what Google recommends, you could say that the ideal length of a meta description is as long as it needs to accurately summarize the web page, but no longer than a short paragraph.
Ultimately, use your own judgment.
7 writing tips and best practices for meta descriptions
1. Research your competitors
Regardless of your industry, SERP research will help you see what’s working for your competitors without rewriting them, which can inspire you to write better meta descriptions.
Researching which meta descriptions show up correctly in search results and which are rewritten by Google can help you better understand the right way to do it.
To do SERP research effectively:
Step 1: Research the SERPs for your targeted keyword
Easier said than done, I know. It can be very time-consuming to manually go through all the search results and identify exactly what your competition’s kryptonite is.
The reason we were looking at the competition is that usually, the competition implements techniques that currently work.
Step 2: Research the SERPs for your competition and what they are doing
Here, take a look at your competition and find out exactly what they’re doing for their brands.
Step 3: Put them together in a spreadsheet and track them
Using the SEO Quake Google Chrome extensionyou can export Google SERPs to an Excel spreadsheet quite quickly and efficiently.
This will allow you to keep a count of your competition and track them easily and efficiently each month without huge monthly costs.
2. Map your customer journey
Identify your target audience’s optimal purchase journey and what happens at each stage of the marketing funnel.
The marketing funnel can vary greatly depending on your target market, so sharing an exact conversion funnel to follow here would be fruitless.
Target and adapt your meta descriptions based on your findings, but always make accurately summarizing the topic of the web page the ultimate goal.
3. Use your brand’s unique tone and style
Each brand must have a unique tone of voice that is consistent with its brand identity; this is how the brand appears online to users.
Each meta description should be uniquely designed and tailored to how that tone of voice is amplified in the brand ecosystem.
You wouldn’t use the same tone of voice for a corporate law website as you would for a daycare website, would you?
So why would you use a tone of voice that is exactly the same from page to page?
The main advantage of tone of voice is that it reaches different people targeting certain keywords.
By targeting people with user intent and combining keywords with this research, it’s possible to reach your target audience with a level of sophistication and optimization that really resonates.
4. Include the keywords your audience is actually searching for
Google maintains that they do not use keywords in the meta description for ranking. But when you do SERP research, what do you see? Keywords highlighted in the meta description.
This is something that can draw your reader to the most relevant result that satisfies their query.
If your meta description fulfills its intent better than any other result that appears, you’ll win the click.
5. Take advantage of trending social headlines
As a social media savant, you’re likely to be on top of your industry when it comes to identifying exactly what’s trending and what’s not for your audience.
Following influencer accounts and companies in the industry should already be part of your strategy.
Take it a step further and assess what topics are currently trending in your space and see which meta descriptions are showing up for the highest results.
Google Trends, BuzzSumo, and Trending Topics on Twitter are good places to check and see what trends might be relevant to your industry.
6. Target a specific search intent
Broad meta descriptions and empty phrases like “best widgets” and other sales buzzwords can turn off potential customers.
It’s important to inspire confidence that your result is something that will satisfy your user’s intent for the query.
You want to talk about what your readers are really looking for, not try to talk them through your own sales funnel.
7. Update your meta descriptions for older content
Updating outdated content on a website can be beneficial to the site and is a great way to get new traction for older pages.
Also, by updating your meta descriptions, it’s possible to get more social media traction as a result.
You can re-share and gain more visibility from older posts by systematically updating all your meta descriptions.
Examples of great meta descriptions
So what does a great meta description look like?
Here are a few examples:
“Pain and suffering are very real for the victim in a personal injury case. Learn more about how to reduce the discomfort from our personal injury attorneys in this latest blog post.”
“By thinking clearly about your needs, it’s possible to find a computer that will help you do all the things you currently love and more. Our technicians explain it.”
“What are you looking for in a widget? Our widget technicians can help you find the best one for your needs. Here are the things you should look for in widgets.”
Screenshot from Google Search Central, September 2022
Not every type of meta description will work well for every industry. This is where testing comes in, evaluating the results and making changes based on those results.
Tailor your meta description to the website and down to the page designed for your users.
Optimization of meta descriptions
The basics of a meta description recommended by Google are to summarize what the content is about, be concise but use as much text as is appropriate, and not use it only for keywords (keyword stuffing).
It is also recommended that the meta description is attractive to a potential site visitor.
Although traditional SEO practice uses the meta description for keywords and a call to action, this is not the best practice according to Google and the W3C.
The best practice for meta descriptions is to summarize the topic of the web page so that potential site visitors are confident that their answers are just a click away.
Featured image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal
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