Meta Descriptions
What are Meta Descriptions?
Meta description is a summary of a website’s content. When searching for something, we get many websites in order among search results. Below the title and URL of each website there will be a slight description of what is inside; that description is called the Meta description. Meta description gives the user an idea about the contents of a webpage.
What is the purpose of meta description?
The purpose of adding meta description to your website’s source code is not just to provide a summary of the contents inside. The primary purpose of meta description is summarizing the content. Apart from this it influences the CTR (Click – Through Rate) as it helps the users decide whether to open this page or not.
Meta description directly does not impact search rankings, but since it can influence CTR, it leads to better ranking over time.
How long is a meta description?
The recommended length of a meta description is around 120-160 characters. It should stay within 920-1000 pixels for the complete sentence to display. It is wise to put all relevant keywords early, since mobile Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) may show fewer characters.
How to write a meta description?
If you do not add a meta description to your website’s content, Google will add one. Also, if your meta description is irrelevant to your content or low quality, then also Google will add a meta description to your website.
The best practices for writing a meta description includes the following :
- The length: The most recommended length of a meta description is between 120-140 characters. Bold words may take extra space.
- Address the search intent: Try to include the keywords that address the intent (navigational, informational or transactional) of the user.
For example, if it is an e-commerce page, include price details and product specifications.
- Include relevant keywords: Include the most important keywords for your content. Google will bold the related keywords based on user queries.
- Use imperative sentences: Using imperative sentences (Beginning with a verb) can trigger action in users.
What are the common mistakes made while writing meta descriptions ?
Ignoring character limits: Longer descriptions may get truncated and result in the loss of important keywords.
Keyword stuffing: Overusing keywords may result in penalties.
Irrelevant descriptions : If you add descriptions that are totally unrelated to the contents of your page to attract audience attention, it will lead to penalties from search engines.
Avoiding meta descriptions at all: Not writing a meta description is a mistake. If you do not add one to your page, Google will add a random description, which results in low visibility.