Are Meta Tags and Meta Descriptions Important?

Are you struggling to get people to your website? Have you been fighting an uphill battle with SEO? You may be missing an important piece of your digital puzzle: meta descriptions. Far from an online afterthought, meta descriptions are the bridge between your stellar website and winning the Google game.

So why are meta tags and descriptions so important?

Let’s start with the basics. If you’re unfamiliar, meta descriptions are snippets of text that describe a site or article’s content. You’ve probably seen them when you search for something on Google, underneath a website’s headline and URL. That blurb of description is called a meta description. And rather than just throwing letters of the alphabet into WordPress or wherever your website lives, there’s an art to crafting meta descriptions that do the job. So here’s why you should prioritize meta tags plus the secret steps to writing sentences that move the needle.

Why Do Meta Descriptions Matter?

You’ll notice that meta descriptions are only visible on a Google results page. While sometimes search engines do ignore what you’ve entered and pull straight from your site, these descriptions are incredibly important. That little blurb tells searchers exactly what your page is about and is oftentimes the deciding factor on whether or not potential clients, customers, or fans actually click through to your site. The more users click, the more likely search engines are to rank your page higher on the results page. Think of high traffic like a signal to Google that your page is relevant. And of course, the more users click on your site, the more likely you are to boost awareness and boost sales.

Best Practices For Meta Tags & Descriptions

Use Keywords

This leads us to meta description best practices. As mentioned, meta descriptions are an art and a science. To boost your chances of showing up on a search results page, match your website’s content to top keywords people use in relation to your business. Sites like SEMrush help you determine the top keywords for your business niche. But they’re often relatively obvious. For instance, if you sell women’s athletic clothes, include “women’s” “gym” “athletic” and “apparel” within your meta description.

Differentiate

It’s also important to create a unique meta description for each page of your website. One and done simply won’t cut it. That’s because when your individual pages appear in search results, it’s hard for users to differentiate the page content when the descriptions are identical. If you’re working with a massive online database, writing individual descriptions for each page is near impossible. Just make sure the descriptions are still readable sentences rather than a string of keyword garble. Simply throwing keywords together without any connective tissue won’t improve your click-through rate.

Get Specific

In other words, get descriptive. Just as identical descriptions aren’t helpful, generic words and phrases won’t entice your target audience to click. The more descriptive you can make your meta description, the more your search quality (and quantity) will improve.

In the same vein, descriptions shouldn’t always be summarizing sentences. For instance, if you’re writing a description for an article or blog post, include information like the author’s name, publication date, page numbers, and time it takes to read. Writing the description for a product page? Include relevant product details such as price, manufacturer, volume, and other relevant information. A great place to start with product page descriptions is considering what’s included on a product’s box or the product description on Amazon.

Yoast SEO Can Help

If you are looking for a FREE resource to help you craft the perfect meta description, I highly suggest Yoast SEO. This is a great plugin that’s available for WordPress. So if your website is built in WordPress, you’re in luck. Please note, that there are some advanced features and if you are not familiar with web design, I would definitely recommend you contact a web developer to help you integrate Yoast. You can learn more on Yoast’s website.

In Sum

Achieving that top spot on a search results page is only half the battle. Potential customers have to actually click on your site if you’re looking to boost traffic and boost sales. Meta descriptions are the last crucial step in convincing searchers to say yes to your website and yes to your business.

A bit about us – Web Fox Marketing is a web company as well as digital marketing specialists in Livonia. Our Michigan SEO team works with our surrounding community nearby Livonia, Novi, Southfield, Farmington Hills, Royal Oak and beyond. On top of providing digital marketing advantages, we’re proficient in e-commerce web design , search-engine marketing advantages , Google Ads advertising (Pay Per Click), Search Engine Optimization, social media advertising, and more!

Your web site is the beginning, as success throughout our connected world is dependent on search authority,and improved visibility to many digital outlets. Our Michigan lead generation company is more than happy to assist you with any kind of questions you may have. Call us now and let’s get started creating your next web project!

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