We all want to appear in the first places of Google results. And along with that, once we get them to see us after a search, we must have an attractive call to capture the attention of users and that they finally make a click. We invite you to know how to achieve it!
Meta Description in SEO
If you are familiar with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or have researched its characteristics, you have probably heard of the famous meta descriptions or meta descriptions. Well, in this post we will detail what they are, what they are for, what their function is and how to write one that is optimal to enhance your SEO strategy.
Basic SEO Information
Before delving into meta descriptions, it is important to handle certain concepts that are frequently used in the language of organic positioning.
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): First things first, what is SEO? In very simple words, it corresponds to the implementation of strategies or techniques for the optimization of the results thrown by search engines such as Google.
- SERPs or Search Engine Results Page: when we talk about SERPS, we refer to the list of results that appears in the search engine as Google, that is, they are the websites that Google shows when we make a query.
- Keywords: Keywords are the terms that we consider important for a certain site and that are used by users when making a query in Google.
- Meta Tags: the meta title and meta description are fundamental tags to explain the content that appears in the search engine. It is the first thing users will see on our website, before entering it.
- Click Through Rate (CTR): it is a metric that measures the percentage of clicks that the link receives in the search engine in relation to the impressions achieved.
What is a meta description?
Although the meta descriptions are not a primary factor in the organic positioning of the pages of a website, they do contribute and strengthen an SEO strategy by influencing the CTR. Also, in our experience, it seems that Google usually prefers sites that have these meta tags. This could be because it is an element of correct optimization.
Now, what is it? The meta description is a short text that is placed under the URL of the website when they search engine returns the results (SERP). Generally, it is used as a summary of the content of a web page, so that the user knows what it consists of and if what they are looking for is found on it.
What is the goal of the meta description?
To write a successful meta description, it must include keywords, in this way, it will improve and facilitate the search, focusing on the content and the keywords you want to target, according to what is needed.
One of the goals of writing a meta description is to achieve the most clicks to increase the number of visits to the site, that is, achieve a high CTR.
Clicks are important for the positioning of the site, because they translate into visits from Google, in other words: higher organic traffic.
Why implement a meta description?
It is difficult to be in the first place of Google in a totally organic way, but it is not impossible. Once a good SEO strategy is implemented and the site begins to gain visibility, it is necessary that we are showing a good “face” so that the user finally clicks.
That is why the meta description is essential: it can help improve positions, but above all, take advantage of visibility to capture clicks.
And how do I develop it? You should have an attractive and concise meta description where the highlights of what you are offering come out. Try to arouse curiosity to want to know more about your product or what you offer and increase the clicks of your site.
How to write an optimized and effective meta description
- Be clear about what is being offered.
- Have good writing.
- Describe the content in a brief and original way.
- Use keywords.
- Generate a call or call to action to encourage the user to click (examples: continue reading, sign up here, to learn more, for more content, etc.)
- Write between 130 to 146 characters.
- Not writing all the text in capital letters, nor quotation marks or ellipsis, can create confusion.
- You can use emoticons or rich snippets, but without overdoing it, I advise you to only use one to attract attention.
- Be honest with what you are offering: worse than not having clicks is getting clicks that generate a very high bounce rate (that in general terms, of course; in the end, everything will depend on your goals).
Where can you create or modify your meta description?
Now that you have all the tools and tips to make a meta description, we explain how to implement one. If you have a site developed in WordPress, you can install the SEO by Yoast plugin to create and modify your meta descriptions very easily.
To start improving each meta description, we recommend you start with home, contact, who we are, and the main services and products you offer.
Remember that your text is attractive and keep in mind the points that we have mentioned. Best of luck with your meta descriptions!
Conclusion
This is the all about Meta Description in SEO. If you need to develop a major SEO strategy or need the advice to increase your organic traffic and turn it into quality conversions, contact us.
