How to write effective Meta Descriptions

Apr 20

Want to learn how to have your website actually help bring you more interested viewers?

Then you need to know about SEO. And a part of maximizing your SEO is learning how to effectively use meta descriptions. So let’s talk about it, and how it can help you.

This is a blog post on how to write effective Meta Descriptions for better SEO

What are Meta Descriptions, and why are they important?

Meta descriptions provide a brief summary of a web page's content. They are typically displayed in search engine results pages (s.e.r.p.s) and along with your pages’ actual content, can influence whether someone clicks through to your website or not.

THE TEXT BELOW THE TITLE OF THE WEBSITE. IS CONSIDERED THE META DESCRIPTION.

Meta descriptions are important because they can impact whether someone clicks through to your website or not. A well-written meta description can help increase click-through rates and drive more traffic to your website, so we want them to be strategic, instill intrigue or excitement and be search engine friendly.

Where do you write Meta Descriptions?

Meta descriptions are typically written in the HTML of a web page, within the "head" section of the code. This is really advanced speak for where the instructions go, telling your webpage what to display.

Specifically, the meta description is included in a meta tag with the name "description" and is located between the opening and closing "head" tags.

On a Squarespace website, you can add meta descriptions on a per-page basis by editing the page settings in the Pages panel. Under the SEO tab, there is a field for "Page Description" where you can enter your meta description.

On your personal website, you can update the meta description titles on any page you create. So make sure you give your important pages their best chance.

Update your About page, Services pages, and blog posts if you write them (Like me!)

These all go into building authority for your website on search engines which increases your likelihood of ranking higher when someone searches online for services similar to what you offer.

What if you’re a product-based service?

Have a Shopify Store? Store Meta Description and product meta descriptions are some of the areas you will want to pay to complete.

Don’t forget to update your product and collection pages too!

Your product pages also support your rankings and also gives website visitors more specific information on a product they are considering.

Making them even more likely to click through!

Best Practices for Writing Effective Meta Descriptions

“Good descriptions give you a brief overview of what the site is about, as well as a compelling reason to click the title tag. It all happens so quickly and painlessly, many searchers won’t even notice themselves making a decision. They’ll simply click on the link, satisfying their curiosity without having to think about it.” - Kim Herrington

When looking to make the most impact with your Meta Description titles there are some best practices to keep in mind.

Writing for your Product page:

Write your meta descriptions to convey how the item you’re selling will make their life better, easier, more stylish. Invoking the feeling that your item is the solution to a pain point they are having, or addresses their concerns over making sure they’re getting a quality item by purchasing from you.

Category / Collection page :

The category or collection pages, group similar items together. So these might be for categories like ‘T-shirts’ or ‘mugs’, ‘planters’ or ‘candy'.

Got more than one type of style in one category? Try to mention a few so readers can get a sense they have options to choose from.

Keywords Matter

Keywords are words that are more likely to be picked up or recognized by search engine algorithms. It’s a pretty big part of implementing good SEO tactics on your website.

Using Keywords that are considered ‘high volume’ means using words that are frequently searched by users on platforms like Google, Bing or other Search engines.

Using keywords when writing effective meta descriptions boosts your potential reach in search results when a potential customer of yours searches for a solution to a problem they are experiencing.

According to SEO + SEM Consultant Kim Herrington who was featured in this article on Meta Descriptions for Shopify:

Kim suggests, focusing on writing really good meta descriptions for your highest volume keywords, because Google is more likely to use them: “Focus primarily on your bestsellers and category page meta descriptions rather than every single item you sell.”

Keep these elements in mind:

Keep the length of your meta tile descriptions between 150-160 characters in length.
Remember to make it memorable. Pique curiosity, entice interest, and encourage engagement.
Include a call-to-action if you can. Using phrases like ‘check out these’, ‘click to see more’, some direction that tells users what to do.
Use target Keywords, try to use a few keywords that are popular among users searching your products like your own, or the services you provide.
Be sure not to ‘stuff’ your meta titles with just a string of keywords that don’t make sense. Remember, users read these to see if they want to click onto your website. Also Search engines suppress the reach of webpages that use this tactic as they mark them as spam tactics. So just don’t do it.

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