A meta description is a short summary, typically around 155 characters, that describes the content of a web page. This snippet of text appears below the page title and URL in search engine results. Although the meta description itself does not influence a website’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs), it plays a critical role in click-through rates, as it provides users with an overview of what to expect on the webpage.
Implementation:
To add a meta description to a web page, webmasters should use the tag within thesection of the HTML document. It is important to ensure that the meta description is relevant to the page’s content, utilizes target keywords effectively, and reads naturally for the best user experience.
Best Practices:
- Ensure meta descriptions are unique for each page.
- Keep the length between 150-160 characters to avoid truncation in search results.
- Incorporate primary keywords and phrases associated with the page’s content.
- Write in an engaging manner that encourages users to click on the link.
- Avoid duplicating meta descriptions across multiple pages to prevent dilution of relevancy.
Table of Contents
Usage:
While crafting meta descriptions, it is advisable to think of them as advertising copy, striving to succinctly convey the value proposition of the webpage. By effectively summarizing the content and enticing users, a well-composed meta description can significantly improve the likelihood of a user clicking through from SERPs to the website.