A meta description is a short description of the content in the link or search result or a brief description of your site. When online users look up information on the web, the search results often have a short description of the content to expect when you click the link. Meta descriptions average at 155 characters. This is more than enough to give you a gist of what to expect when you click a particular link.
Therefore, writing the perfect meta description cannot only increase traffic to your sites and boost conversion but also improve the results of your website’s ranking on search engines as a direct consequence of increased traffic.
Some tips on writing the perfect meta description in WordPress include:
- Make the description brief
- Create a description that stands out
- Embed keywords and phrases
- Work on the tone of the description
- Calls to action
- A focus on quality
- Accurate and matching content
- Deliver in the meta description
- Use plugins
Make the Description Brief
The goal of a meta description is to capture the attention of users and convince them or prompt them to click on that link to your site or content. Being brief and to the point ensures that users can quickly absorb the description and make a decision on checking the content or not. In this information age where there is a lot of clutter on the web, putting across your message in a simple, short, and concise way will work to your advantage most of the time.
Capping your meta description to 155 characters keeps you within the requirements of Google. In some cases, Google automatically picks the meta description from the content of your website, even though you can use plugins to customize your description. Whichever the case, a short description will get the job done.
Create a Description That Stands Out
Since users are searching for information related to a particular keyword or phrase, then the results will highly likely have a degree of similarity. This means that the meta descriptions of the results will almost be similar, something that will not excite users much. Similar or heavily matching descriptions distort user experience. In this sense, therefore, it is important to ensure that you create a description that stands out from other descriptions.
In cases where Google will automatically create a description, ensure that the content that features the keywords or phrases is unique. Craft it in such a manner that on the off chance, Google picks content from that paragraph or section, it does not match the content in other meta descriptions in search results.
Embed Keywords and Phrases
At times, Google automatically picks the meta description depending on different factors. However, Google picks the description from sections or paragraphs in the content that contain the keywords or phrases. Therefore, in this sense, you need to make efforts to use relevant keywords, so Google knows which sections of the content to use in forming the meta description.
Using keywords not only facilitates the process of automatic meta description generation by Google but also improves the ranking of your content in search results.
Work on the Tone of the Description
The meta description should have a tone that corresponds to the content’s tone. The content could be informative, casual, humorous, educative, or professional. Whichever tone the content uses, it is highly essential to ensure that the meta description has a tone along the same lines. This helps the reader to have a prior understanding of the nature of the content to expect when they click that link.
Calls to Action
A Call to Action (CTA) like one asking readers to find out more information by clicking the link or purchase a product can also come in handy when crafting a meta description. Essentially, the primary purpose of the meta description is to woo and attract more users to your site. When you embed a CTA in your meta description, you are, in hindsight, prompting readers to click on that link.
This helps to increase traffic to your site, which may ultimately result in more conversions on your end. Moreover, as more people check out that link, the popularity or familiarity of that link with Google increases. This, in turn, increases the ranking of that article in Google search results.
A Focus on Quality
Most readers look for value when scouring search results. They want to know what they will gain by clicking that link and accessing the information on that site. You need to ensure that your meta description, therefore, is of quality and adds value to your readers. Briefly highlight what information, knowledge, or tips users will get when they click that link. Meta descriptions crafted along such lines are highly likely to result in increased click-through rates hence more traffic to your site.
Accurate and Matching Content
It is essential to ensure that the content in the meta description features word to word with the content in the site. When the content in the meta description is not in the article, it creates a trust problem. Users no longer trust your website or the information contained therein, and they will dismiss your website without qualms the moment it features in their search results. As if this is not enough, you also stand to attract penalties from Google. In this regard, therefore, you must ensure the content in the meta description matches a section or sentences in the main content. When it comes to accurate content, using TopEssayWriting, ClassyEssay, BeGraded and Hemingway App can come in handy in the content generation and editing phases.
Deliver in the Meta Description
When it comes to the meta description, it is worth noting that you are projecting that information to users and would-be readers of your content or website. You, therefore, have to make it a users’ affair. In this case, you have to put yourself in the shoes of the viewers and understand their expectations. Understanding the expectations of the viewers allows you to craft a description that delivers what they need to see. Working on the meta description does not negate the fact that you have to up your game and create top-notch content on your blog. Chances are high other writers are crafting top-notch content, and you might also want to ensure your content is up there.
Use Plugins
Some plugins come in handy when it comes to crafting the meta description. These plugins allow you to organize the content in your meta description and further let you give structure to the meta description. Most plugins have a text editor interface that allows for inputting the necessary content. Plugins make the whole process of creating the meta description easy, and also allows for further customization.
The meta description of your content in WordPress is essentially the determining factor with regards to traffic to your website. Here is where the placement of keywords and phrases matter because keywords help to influence the kind of information or content that will feature in the meta description. Because the meta description determines traffic to your site, you must ensure that it stands out. You should craft it in such a way that appeals to users and gives them the incentive to click that link.