What is a Meta Description…and Why Do I Need One?

What is a Meta Description…

A meta description is a piece of HTML code that describes the contents of your website for search engines like Google. Usually, between 150 and 160 characters in length, an effective meta description should be as precise as it is concise while providing a unique description of your webpage content. It’s often visible to customers as the snippet of information a search engine - for example, Google - provides below the link to your website on the search engine results page (SERP).

…and Why Do I Need One?

Utilizing a meta description is an essential tool for driving traffic to your website because it improves your visibility - or ranking - in the search results. It also allows users to see the information on your site that is most relevant to their search by informing the SERP as to what text to preview. That’s why your page descriptions need to be both visible and clickable - information must be there for the search engines to rank, and it must be compelling enough for a customer to click. That’s why it’s best practice to have a unique meta description for each page of your website so that your content is very easy for users to find!

How to Compose a Meta Description

So, how would you go about composing a meta description for a page on your website? Great question! Of course, the goal is to get users to click on your website’s link. Understanding what people are looking for when they search for content like yours is our best tip for writing effective meta descriptions. Utilizing the most-searched keywords in your meta descriptions boosts the ranking of your page. It also gives customers the information they are most likely looking for. It’s also important to remember that size matters when it comes to meta descriptions! Most search engines display between 150-160 characters of explanatory text per link on the SERP. Providing the correct number of characters ensures that your description is displayed in full.

See the Difference for Yourself!

Unsure if you are already using meta descriptions on your web pages or not? Don’t have the manpower or time to implement meta descriptions yourself? Call in the pros for an audit. Here at AirTank, we can do the technical stuff and optimize your website with meta descriptions for you - Contact us today and let’s chat!