But here’s the challenge: there are 1,197,982,359 websites in existence as of January 2021. 274.9 million of them are registered in the United States alone. But we also know that many websites, especially e-commerce ones, are translated into English to attract global customers. (How many items have you ordered from China ?)
Even if you break these numbers down by industry, it is clear that there is simply an “ocean” of competition for any company with a digital presence.
The challenge is obvious: how do you get your brand to stand out enough to c level or decision maker email list appear well in search engine results? Of course, the answer is SEO , and there are only a number of factors involved in achieving good indexing and ranking: the popularity of the site’s pages, the quality/uniqueness of the content, the quantity and quality of inbound links, etc.
One of those factors is the meta description you have for each of your website's landing pages, including each and every blog post.
What is a meta description?
When you perform a search on Google, you receive results based on the factors we referred to above. But a meta description always follows the website or page that is listed.
It's a short piece of text that provides more details about that page to readers, with the goal of showing the value of what they'll find when they click through. And Google considers them very important as it indexes and ranks content pages.
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Below is an example of Google search results, once you scroll past the ads at the top of the search results page. The search term was "What grass grows well in the shade?"
If you can write a compelling meta description, you will get that increase in clicks. And increases in clicks mean more visitors to your WordPress site. And of course, more visitors translates to more sales.
Okay, so how do you write a meta description that compels readers to click?
Here are 8 tips and tactics.
Getting to the point
What is the value of your content? You only have a few words to demonstrate this, so think carefully and keep it as simple and concise as possible.
You can have a longer description, of course, but it will be cut off, as you can see in the screenshot above. So, get that main point across from the start. Your reader has the right to know exactly what they'll find when they click through to your page.
Get the most important keyword as close to the beginning as possible
In many cases, there may be more than one keyword or short phrase.
In the above case, the search phrase was best type of grass for shaded areas. Obviously, the keywords here are “grass” and “shaded areas.” Identifying those keywords and incorporating them early is one of the best SEO tools you can use. Again, focus on the consumer’s pain points, not how good you are.
Keyword research banner. Laptop with document folder and charts and key. Vector flat illustration
Keyword research banner. Laptop with document folder and charts and key. Vector flat illustration
Be brief
This is obvious, as you only have a certain amount of characters that will actually be displayed.
A good rule of thumb is no more than three very short sentences and about 150 characters. This is definitely a challenge, but at least get all the important stuff into those first 150.
But even after searchers click through and land on the full meta description, it shouldn't be filled with complex terms, lots of descriptive language, and so on. Again, you need to tell the reader exactly what content you have to provide them with the solution they're looking for.
And of course, you need to follow that description with your awesome content, using all the best practices for content types that draw readers in and keep them there, spending time getting them what they need. This “stickiness” is important for SEO .
Sometimes a question works
Think about the problem your potential client has.
What kind of question might catch your attention in your meta description? “Are you bothered by bare spots in the shade? These grasses and planting solutions might surprise you.”
Now you've identified the problem and inserted the keywords. But you've also intrigued the reader. What could you possibly know that he hasn't heard about?
Asking a question makes the reader think and engages them more than a simple flat statement. They will want to see all the solutions you may have and maybe get some new ideas.
Stay true to your brand's personality
Consider the differences in tone, writing style and “voice” that brands have. Companies that sell fine jewelry or luxury cars must have a certain tone: sophisticated, serious and “exuding” a wealthy lifestyle. Red Bull, on the other hand, is a brand that speaks to adventure and risk and to a younger audience.
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Every brand has a customer persona. And if that persona has been developed correctly, then the brand uses a writing style, vocabulary, and media that “fit” that persona, as well as the products or services a brand offers.
And this includes every piece of content you present to your audience, including your meta description.
Who is your client?
