Best Meta Description
The Meta Description works like a business card. It is the short description text that Google displays in the search results (SERPs) below the title (Meta Title) and the link (URL) of a website.
The Meta Description has the following functions:
- It describes the content of your website
- It arouses the interest of the user
- It activates the user to choose your website
Thus, the best Meta Description is comparable to a free advertising space, with which you want to inspire users to visit your website.
What does the Meta Description have to do with SEO?
The best Meta Description, along with the Meta Title, is the first contact for search engines that crawl and rate your site. Unlike the title, however, the description is not one of the direct factors that influence the ranking of your website. That said, Google do not make the position of your page dependent on the SERPs.
But: the best Meta Description is responsible for positive signals of the user.
In other words: if the user clicks on your website after Google shows it to him on the basis of his request, he leaves the search engine.
So, he indicates: my search was successful. Google therefore rates your website as a relevant result for the search query - this is a positive sign for the calculation of the ranking of your page. The other way you risk a higher cancellation rate by misleading visitors with the description and thus sending a negative signal.
How do I optimize the Meta Description for SEO?
First and foremost, the best Meta Description should address the user and show him what content he reads on your website. This increases the click-through rate (CTR rate) and reduces the likelihood that the user will ignore your page.
Therefore, follow these tips:
1. Correct wording
If you want to get the best Meta Description, it should be understandable and informative. Integrate a clear call to action that draws the user to your website.
2. Build your keywords
Place the respective keywords of your pages in the corresponding Meta Descriptions. Thus, the user immediately sees the informaion that interests him. Make sure your page really contains all the keywords you specify.
3. Generate a reading flow
Avoid just stringing keywords in your description. Write one or two complete sentences that contain accurate information and are actively worded. Highlight the value of your offer.
4. Pay attention to the correct length
Your best Meta Description should not be longer than 178 characters. Otherwise, Google cuts off the text - that looks ugly and irritates the user.
Caution: adding your website a date to published content will leave you with fewer characters. In this case, do not use more than 160 characters.
5. Use special characters, if appropriate
With special characters like a heart or a hook you draw the attention of the user to your description and thus to your website. Simply use appropriate HTML codes in the text. But do not overdo it.
Very important: write the best Meta Descriptions for each page (homepage, subpages, etc.) of your website. The product page has very different content than the company blog or a description of your company history. Show the user exactly what awaits him on the respective page of your web offer and adapt the descriptions accordingly.
Do you offer, for example, news from your company and an online shop? Then write in the descriptions of the shop page, what customers can buy there - and why you should do that. You have fair prices, a top service and satisfied customers? Then let the users know.
Use the AIDA formula for best Meta Descriptions. AIDA stands for:
- Attention (to draw attention)
- Interest (to awaken interest)
- Desire (cause desire)
- Action (perform action to satisfy cravings).
The formula is suitable as a writing aid and can also be used as a template over an existing description to analyze it. How to quickly find out and how to make best your description text. Here's an example with the search query "buy shirt" at Google. The search engine displays this description when the search result is placed high up:
Attention:
The keyword hits the visitor’s eyes. Discount information awakens positive emotions and makes you curious.
Interest:
This impression reinforces the references to the "huge assortment" and the check marks. They convey to the user that he will find every shirt model on this website.
Desire and Action:
This Meta Description triggers the desire to buy a shirt from this supplier - and ideally leads to a click on the website.
However, you will certainly come up with ideas to perfect them - for example, with additional information on (of course favorable) shipping costs or positive customer ratings. This makes the description even better and brings more interested users to the website.