How to write perfect meta descriptions

Content of the article

/01 What is a meta description?
/02 Why are meta descriptions important?
/03 Tips for writing purpose descriptions
/04 Best Meta Description Samples
/05 To summarize

How to write perfect meta descriptions

A meta description summarizes the content of a page and presents it to users in search results. It’s one of the first things people are likely to see when they search, so optimizing it is critical for SEO. This is your chance to convince users to click on your link in the search results!

What is a meta description?

A meta description is an HTML element that summarizes the content of a web page. This short description appears in the search engine results pages (SERP) below the page title and URL.

To remain visible on Google, you should keep your meta descriptions between 140-160 characters long.

The purpose description can be found in the HTML code of the <head> of the page:

Here’s an example of a meta description as it would appear on a search engine results page (SERP):

Please note that since the request is “Website Promotion”, these two words are in bold in the meta description.

Also notice how the meta description provides a clear and concise description of the topic, signaling to the reader what they can expect. Meta descriptions can have an impact on your click through rate (CTR). This means they can influence whether a user decides to visit your page. This makes them an important factor in on-page SEO.

Why are meta descriptions important?

Meta descriptions are important because they allow Google to understand what exactly your web page will contain. If Google can read and understand the content of your meta description, it will have a better chance of ranking your page for search queries.

Meta descriptions increase organic traffic and attract more attention to your pages.

If you don’t add a meta description, Google will show a snippet of text from the first paragraph of your page. If there is a keyword in this text, it will be in bold. While this isn’t a bad thing, not having a descriptive purpose means losing the ability to personalize the message you send to users.

Having an attractive meta description encourages people to move from search results to your site. This is important – even though Google only shows your target description 37% of the time, according to a study by experts Ahrefs:

Tips for writing purpose descriptions

Google believes that the meta description should tell users what the web page is about. Based on the information in the meta description, the search engine ranks results based on relevance.

Think of the meta description as the presentation of your web page. Articulate why the page will be useful to the reader, and make sure the meta description accurately reflects what is on it. If the reader doesn’t find what the meta description promises, they will likely simply leave the page.

Answer the questions

It’s very likely that people are searching Google for the answer to a question. Try to understand what exactly they are looking for and what your content can help with. Use the meta description to answer this question by suggesting a solution or preference.

Remember the solution to the problem

Offer a solution to a problem that users are looking for.

Remember that the meta description is the “launching pad” of your page in search – sell the content of your post in a way that encourages users to click through to it. This description tells readers about the information they will read and why it is important for them to know it.

Keep the description concise

The body text of your page is where you will inform your audience, so the meta description should not be long. Provide a brief preview of the page—or that part of it that will attract readers’ attention. Purpose Description should not exceed 160 characters. The meta description should only serve as a snapshot, not the body of the post—save it for when readers access your page.

Don’t overuse keywords

While your meta description should contain keywords, it should also feel natural to the reader. If you overuse keywords just to rank high, people may not understand your descriptive intent. A description that is difficult to read can distract users from your page.

Be attractive and unique to readers

Try to make the meta description interesting and attractive to read. Something attracts attention that will stop the visitor from scrolling through the search results. It’s especially helpful if your web page’s content needs to be interesting and unique to match the tone of the content in the meta description.

Engage readers with a call to action

If you want to persuade your visitor to take action, or create a sense of urgency, try adding a call to action at the end of the description.

There are many calls to action to choose from, such as “Learn more,” “Sign up today,” or “Start your free trial.” Context matters here, so choose one that is relevant to the content you are providing.

Avoid repeating meta descriptions

While Google won’t actively penalize you for having duplicate meta descriptions on your site, it’s still bad for SEO. Why? If you have too many identical descriptions, search engines may flag some of your content as low-quality or redundant, which will affect your ranking. Instead, make it meaningful, easy to understand, and descriptive.

Best Meta Description Samples

Now let’s look at some examples of well-done meta descriptions.

Muztorg

The best example of an online store category page. Free shipping is a unique offering of this store as it is only mentioned on this first page of Google search results.

4Camping

Here it is clear that the user is looking for discounted products. At the beginning of the description there is a phrase confirming that you will find what you are looking for there, and finally – the conditions for free delivery.

EVA store chain

This is the main page of the site. The description should reflect the essence of your brand. EVA does a great job of this. The description is clear, the presence of promotional offers, bonuses and awards is mentioned, and it also offers free delivery.

I recommend spending more time writing a meta description for your homepage, since it will mostly appear in branded search results where the intent is clear, and Google will likely show its meta description in search results.

To summarize

Your meta description is your chance to win over your audience. Be sure to create interesting meta descriptions for the pages of your site that will convince people to choose your content in the first place. After all, if your web pages are designed to be useful and valuable to browsers, so should the content that describes them.