HTML tags play a crucial role in on-page SEO, with the meta description tag being one of the most important. Although it doesn’t directly affect the website’s SEO ranking, it significantly influences other SEO factors, impacting your website’s overall internal SEO and position in Google search results.
To give you a clearer perspective, think of the meta description tag as a fishing hook—it can attract and guide users or potential customers to your website. In the following sections, we’ll explore how to craft the perfect “hook” for your business to optimize your website’s performance in search engine results.
What is a Meta Description tag in seo?
A meta description tag is an HTML tag that provides a brief summary of a webpage’s content, displayed in Google search results. These descriptions help users gain a quick understanding of what to expect on a page before visiting it. Furthermore, well-written meta descriptions assist Google’s crawlers in interpreting the page’s content more effectively.
On the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), meta descriptions are shown in smaller black font beneath the SEO title and URL.
Why Use Meta Description tag?
Google’s page validation methods have evolved significantly over the years. Nowadays, it relies more on user preferences to assess a page’s value. A well-crafted meta description can increase click-through rates (CTR) by as much as 5.8% compared to other pages. This, in turn, enhances your website’s credibility in Google’s eyes.
Although meta descriptions don’t directly impact your search engine ranking, they influence website traffic and conversion rates.
How Meta Descriptions Influence SEO
According to Google, meta descriptions have no direct SEO impact. However, they can still be leveraged effectively within the framework of white-hat SEO. Including primary keywords and a brief summary of the page content benefits both Google crawlers and users. While crawlers interpret the content better, users gain a clearer insight into what the page offers.
Studies reveal that many users read the descriptions before deciding which page offers more comprehensive information, which directly influences CTR. Consequently, this increases traffic and improves your website’s ranking.
For example, research conducted by HubSpot on one million keywords shows that compelling titles and meta descriptions significantly enhance click-through rates. Paying attention to meta descriptions is a practical way to outpace competitors in search results.
How to Optimize Meta Descriptions for SEO
You may think meta descriptions are not very important, but rest assured, to optimize them effectively for your web pages’ SEO, you need to be well-versed in the principles and guidelines of writing them. Below are some tips for crafting better meta descriptions:
Use Attractive Descriptions with Call-to-Actions (CTA):
Meta descriptions should entice the audience to visit your page. Since the character limit for meta descriptions is restricted, you need to use concise yet compelling words to encourage users to click on your website’s link. In addition to being engaging, your descriptions must also address users’ search intents. To ensure your content aligns with users’ needs, make sure to incorporate relevant keywords into the meta description.
Write Unique Meta Descriptions for Every Page:
Repeating meta descriptions across different pages is not permissible. A common mistake among webmasters is using duplicated or artificial phrases in the meta sections of pages. Writing distinct descriptions for all website pages sends Google a signal that your content is diverse and unique, highlighting your attention to detail in covering business topics. You might wonder what to do for similar product pages. You can use duplicated meta descriptions for such pages only if you employ canonical tags, ensuring Google doesn’t treat these pages as duplicates.
Consider the Length of Meta Descriptions:
To ensure your meta description is fully displayed in Google results, it must be no longer than 160 characters. If it exceeds this ideal length, portions of the text will be truncated and displayed as “(…)” in Google results.
Why Does Google Rewrite Meta Descriptions 70% of the Time?
Research indicates that Google ignores the meta description you set in over 70% of cases. This finding, based on the analysis of 30,000 keywords, is quite significant—it means that part of your strategy for being seen on search result pages may not work as intended.
Detailed statistics from this report show that Google rewrites 71% of meta descriptions in mobile search results and 68% in desktop search results. Based on this data, only 30% of the time will your meta description be shown to users as intended.
Meta Description Rewrite Rates Based on Search Rankings:
The information provided is based solely on the first page of search results, excluding featured snippets. Studies reveal that Google rewrites meta descriptions most often for websites ranked 4th to 6th on search results pages. Hence, depending on the rank of a keyword in search results, there’s a chance the meta description you’ve crafted won’t be displayed as planned.
Meta Description Rewrite Rate Based on Search Volume:
Another important criterion in selecting keywords is their search volume on Google. Research shows a correlation between the rewrite rate of meta descriptions and the search volume of keywords. Specifically, the higher the search volume, the less likely Google is to disregard your meta description. Google strives to enhance user experience, and when your content receives lower scores, the likelihood of Google modifying your meta description increases. This adjustment aims to better align the description with user expectations.
- Display Length of Meta Descriptions in Google Results
- On Desktop
Another factor that can influence whether a meta description is shown or truncated is its character count. For desktop search results, the recommended length is between 156 and 160 characters. Studies indicate that Google typically does not display meta descriptions exceeding this range. If your meta description includes a date, the maximum character limit is reduced to 142 characters.
- On Mobile: For users searching via mobile, the allowable snippet length (excluding dates) ranges from 118 to 121 characters. If the publication date is included alongside the meta description, the limit decreases further, ranging between 95 and 105 characters.
Final Thoughts
Writing effective meta descriptions does not directly impact website rankings but plays a significant role in influencing other SEO factors. A key takeaway is to craft meta descriptions that captivate and encourage users to click the link. Avoid stuffing meta descriptions with keywords. Remember, Google might adjust your meta description to highlight the elements it finds more appealing to users. Therefore, focus solely on optimizing meta descriptions for maximum engagement.
