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When it comes to SEO, one of the most common best practices is optimizing your meta text, including descriptions and titles. Read on to learn how this works.
Search for your site on Google.
How does the search engine display your site?
If the headline or text snippet seem irrelevant, it’s time to improve your meta text.
Many site owners stopped caring about meta data, which is the information displayed in the search results. They relegate it to the archives of ancient SEO tactics. That’s a mistake.
Your site deserves to gain a boost in traffic. Here’s how meta titles and descriptions can help you achieve this, even if they don’t directly correlate with SEO rankings.
What Is Meta Text?
Think of meta tags as a storefront window. The window displays the most enticing items in the shop, urging you to go inside. That’s exactly what the text blurb along with its headline does for a website. It shows the visitor what’s inside and beckons them to click on the result.
Since search engines have limited room to display results, the meta data must fit across a specific number of characters per block of text. According to Google’s latest SEO algorithms, the ideal length per meta text is 60 characters for the headline and 160 characters for the text.
If you don’t choose your own meta data, the search engine will choose it for you. You can’t count on this to depict your site with accuracy, though. A meta description and headline by Google is generated from a bit of copy off of your website.
Typically, this copy is weak, and it doesn’t contain the relevant keywords that you want to rank for. Therefore, it’s up to you to craft strong meta data which centres around an informative tone and relevant keywords.
How to Craft the Perfect Headline
What kind of headline makes a site irresistible?
An ideal meta title should both sell and inform. It should answer the following questions:
- What is this page about?
- Why do I care?
- How does this stand out?
You need a unique meta title or headline for each page of your website or blog. This includes your “about” page and all your service pages.
Your website content should be tagged with an informational headline. Tell your visitor exactly what they’ll find on that particular page. Meanwhile, meta titles for blog posts and articles should consist of the article title.
How to Craft the Perfect Text Snippet
The meat of the meta tag is the meta text itself. This 160-word blurb should both summarize and sell the page.
Your meta tag is your elevator pitch. Imagine you’re stuck on an elevator with a potential customer. You only have 90 seconds to sell your product. What can you say about the page in one or two sentences without sounding too salesy?
Here are a few tips for writing your meta description:
- Use active rather than passive voice.
- Include a call to action at the end of your blurb.
- Your call to action should strongly urge the visitor to click on the page. For example: “click here to learn more.”
- Write to inform, not only to sell.
Remember to include your brand or website name in your meta tag. This can be placed toward the end of the text or title.
Why Keywords Matter
How prominent are the keywords in your meta tags?
Without relevant keywords, your meta tags are useless. Keywords that relate to your business as well as to each webpage help search engine users find your site more quickly.
Use your favourite SEO solution to find relevant keywords for each web page. Your keywords should have a high search volume (over 200 searches per month at least), and a low competitive ranking difficulty.
When you find your ideal keywords, feature them toward the beginning of your meta description. Use them once in your meta title as well.
Do You Need More Help with SEO?
If the concept of maintaining your site with meta text and other SEO tactics is overwhelming, don’t worry. Run your business while leaving the finer details of SEO to someone else. Click here for more SEO help today.