How rewriting your companies’ meta descriptions could improve your business CTR (Click Through Rate)
So, what exactly are “Meta Descriptions”?
Meta descriptions play a pivotal role in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation. They are simply a offer a snapshot of web page content marketing is about, written in just a few lines of text. The meta title and meta description appear in Google’s SERP’s. These snippets, typically no more than 160 characters, appear beneath the HTML title tags in search engine results within Google and Bing, explaining what that page or blog post is about.
How by adding meta descriptions these can improve your company’s CTR (Click Through Rate).
Despite common misconceptions, meta descriptions do not directly affect search engine rankings- most SEO agencies think that they are not a ranking factor- yet they are still worth adding to your WordPress website.
Writing engaging meta descriptions, which are well written, can increase the click-through rate (CTR), thereby enhancing the website’s SEO and potentially improving your position in search engine results.
How to write meta descriptions
An effective meta description balances being succinct and being informative about what that page or blog post is about. For example, if that page offers “employment law advice” why not write a meta description, something like:
“Why not contact our team of employment lawyers, we have over 10 solicitors who can help you by offers expert legal advice” this tells, a shopper exactly what that page is about. It also tells Google what that page is about. It’s clearly therefore about offering employment law advice. Aim for 155-160 characters to avoid truncation while ensuring enough detail to make shoppers click your business.
The strategic incorporation of target keywords can also make your meta description more appealing.
Meta Descriptions and SEO rankings
Meta descriptions are not a direct ranking factor, meaning we think, and many SEO consultants think the same, they do not have a direct bearing on SEO rankings. Yet with that, if your website is clicked more often, than the business holding the fourth result, in Google. Yet your business ranks 7th currently. Well Google’s AI, that’s artificial intelligence, that’s Google’s Rank Brain may see that your business has a higher click through rate, the algorithm may therefore you’re your business higher.
The Absence of meta descriptions
When a meta description is not specified, search engines like Google automatically generate one based on the page’s content. Yet, we would recommend that you add your own meta titles and meta descriptions, this is not hard to do, even if you have no coding knowledge, WordPress plugins such as Yoast make it a piece of cake. And by doing so you may improve your companies CTR. Specifying your own meta description gives you control over how your content is presented in search results, likely leading to better engagement.
How many words should a meta description be?
While the recommended length for meta descriptions is between 150-160 characters, this can vary based on the device. On mobile, shorter meta descriptions are more effective due to the limited display space.
Why Google wants your business to add meta descriptions
Google may alter your meta description if it deems it ineffective in summarising the page or aligning with user queries. So, don’t for example, say “electric bikes for £100” if really the starting price is a grand. This will most likely damage your company’s organic Seo as well, as the bounce rate is likely to go through the roof. Recent studies indicate that Google modifies over 70% of meta descriptions, emphasising the need for clear and relevant summaries.
Meta descriptions and SEO
In conclusion, while meta descriptions might not directly influence search engine rankings, they are crucial for attracting user clicks, helping to improve the companies CTR. They form a vital component of a comprehensive organic SEO strategy, working in tandem with content marketing, technical SEO, and off-site factors to enhance a website’s visibility and success in search engine results.
