5 Ways to Get More from Your Meta Descriptions

The humble meta description. At a mere 155 characters (or less), it doesn't have a lot to say. Unlike a title tag, it's doesn't appear in big bold letters and won't do much to impact your page rank. However, it can serve as a small, two-sentence enticement that gets people to click through to your site. Of course, meta descriptions can only improve click through rates if the descriptions are, you know, good. Here are five ways you can make your metas work for you. 1. Write actual sentences, not just lists of keywords. Bad meta: Web design, web development, graphic design, website marketing. Better: Whether you’re an OEM, distributor, contract manufacturer, or B2C business, Ecreative can tailor your website for your audience. Meta descriptions aren't there to punch up your SEO, so there's no point in cramming keywords into it. Worse, filling it with keywords and nothing else doesn't help the user understand what the page is about -- which is the true purpose of meta descriptions. First and foremost, make sure your descriptions use full sentences and offer some kind of useful information to end users. 2. Make sure your meta descriptions are different from each other. This one is really important. Google's rules about duplicate content apply to meta descriptions, too. It's ok for descriptions to be very similar from one page to the next, but they cannot be exactly the same. 3. Make sure it relates to the content on the page. Is the page about injection molding? Then the meta should say something like, "We're the most experienced injection molders in the state of New Mexico." Remember, the meta gives users a clue as to what is on the page so that when they see your site listed in the SERPS, they can see at a glance whether it is relevant to them or not. 4. Add a call to action. You don't have to wait for people to visit your page to give them a call to action! Here's an example of how that can look: "Our copywriters tell stories that connect with readers – and lead to conversions. For more information about our copywriting services for the industrial marketplace, contact us today." 5. Add your phone number. The very best meta descriptions do everything mentioned above and include a phone number. By adding your number to the meta description, you put your phone number right there in the SERPs. If you use those 155 characters to tell people what you have to offer, why they should contact you and how they can reach you, you can increase the chances that people will contact you without even visiting your site. And, of course, you'll increase the number of visits that your site gets. Need help improving your meta descriptions? Contact Ecreative today. Photo credit: basti_voe via Foter.com / CC BY-SA