When we say website optimisation, we typically think of keywords and how to tweak them to make a compelling headline. Keywords this, keywords that. But do you know of an essential part of optimisation that often gets overlooked? Meta Descriptions.
Perhaps you may think you have the entire checklist for a boosted visibility crossed out, but the absence of an accurate meta description for your pages may just be costing you sales and traffic.
But what, exactly, are meta descriptions and why are they so important? In simple terms, a meta description is a short introductory sentence/s optimised to describe what a page is all about concisely. How would you advertise a webpage to be informative, yet enticing? That is how you should present a meta description.
Many people tend to disregard meta descriptions as merely that: descriptions. They do not realise the effect these short snippets have on search results. A powerful meta description leads to high click-through-rates which greatly help the SEO ranking of a page.
Meta descriptions are first impressions, so make it count. Here are a few tips to optimise and ensure clicks:
1. Answer Questions
Think like your customer; what questions could they possibly come up with, that you as a business can provide a solution for? You need to answer these questions so that you can encourage your customers to visit your page.
2. Evoke Emotions
Emotion is key to persuasion. Present the emotional benefits that your customers may gain from your brand. Use this emotion, plus intensifying adjectives, as leverage to connect with your readers and convince them to check your brand.
3. Use Calls to Action
Calls to actions are words that clearly state a purpose. These urge readers to act upon a particular task. Meta descriptions are not, however, a place for obvious phrases such as 'shop now' or 'read more', rather an opportunity for offers and tangible benefits such as free deliveries or 30-day trials.
4. Avoid Duplication
Each page of your website is unique. If two or more of your pages share the same meta description, they are considered to be talking about the same thing, and will, therefore, rank lower in search results.
5. Use Rich Snippets
Links, reviews, ratings, and video images on a meta description give more detailed information to a search engine and therefore help people make a better decision before clicking websites. These are what rich snippets are. Consider adding these into meta descriptions for it to stand out and generate clicks.
Although meta descriptions do not directly influence page rankings, optimising them creates a higher probability of clicks and traffic. So optimise your pages now and make your websites SEO friendly.
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