Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are the texts displayed beneath headlines in search results. Meta descriptions provide details about your pages and encourage users to click on your ad, making a good meta description important in SEM. Meta descriptions also provide information to search engines regarding the content of your pages, though it is unknown just how impactful meta descriptions are in SEO.
Major considerations:
Length: Ideal meta descriptions are typically between 150-160 characters. Longer descriptions may be truncated in search results, while shorter ones might not provide enough information.
Relevance and Clarity: The description should be relevant to the page content and summarize the main topic or offer. It should provide an accurate preview of the page's content to meet user expectations. Failure to do so will result in a high bounce rate, negatively impacting your SEO.
Keywords: Include target keywords or phrases relevant to the page content and likely to be used in search queries. It's important to integrate the keywords naturally, avoiding keyword stuffing.
Call to Action (CTA): A good meta description serves as a mini-ad and thus often includes a CTA, encouraging readers to click through to the page. It should inspire action and curiosity or offer a benefit.
More considerations:
Readability and Appeal: The description should be easy to read and engaging. It should capture the user's interest and make them want to know more about the page content.
Uniqueness: Each meta description should be unique across your website to avoid duplication issues and accurately represent each page. Avoid keyword cannibalization as much as possible to prevent your pages from competing.
Brand Consistency: The tone and messaging should be consistent with your brand voice and the overall messaging strategy of your website. Repeating your brand name, if possible and natural, is encouraged.
Avoid Non-Alphanumeric Characters: Certain characters may not display correctly in search results or could be misinterpreted by search engines, so it's usually best to avoid them. Exclamation points should be largely avoided to prevent your description from appearing spammy.
Unique Value Proposition: succinctly convey what makes your page (or the product/service it discusses) uniquely valuable to the potential customer.
Competitive Differentiation: highlight what sets your offering apart from others in the market. While the UVP describes what makes you uniquely able to address a person’s needs, competitive differentiation is what makes you unique against your competitors.