How to Write SEO-Friendly Meta Descriptions
Hoping improve your website’s search engine rankings? If so, you might publish more targeted content, build backlinks, or increase your loading speeds. However, if you want to achieve the best results, you should also add an SEO-friendly meta description to every page.
What Are Meta Descriptions?
Meta descriptions are HTML tags that provide summaries of web pages to search engines and their users. They appear beneath page titles in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Well-written meta descriptions can boost your site’s click-through rate (or CTR), which can positively impact your ability to rank on Google and Bing.
Tips for Writing SEO-Friendly Meta Descriptions
The FZA Digital team recommends following these five tips when writing meta descriptions for your company’s website:
1. Keep it Brief
When writing a meta description, it can be tempting to go into great detail about your organization and its products. However, if you do so, Google is likely to truncate your message on its results pages, which could potentially remove critical details about your webpage.
If you want to make sure users can read your entire meta description, keep them short and succinct. We suggest keeping your descriptions between 120 and 165 characters.
2. Be Detailed
Your meta description is your opportunity to entice Google and Bing users to visit your webpage. As such, avoid using generic and uninformative descriptions like:
- “ABC Motors: Your local auto dealership.”
- “For all your plumbing needs, contact Smith and Sons, LLC.”
- “Call the Jones Law Firm for help after your accident.”
Instead, write descriptions that tell users more about your company and its products or services, such as:
- “Are you in the market for a new or used Toyota? Visit the ABC Motors showroom in Atlanta today! We offer a wide range of financing options.”
- “Whether you need your sink unclogged or a new shower installed, you can count on Smith and Sons, LLC, in Seattle. Call us today for a free estimate!”
- “Injured in a car crash or workplace accident in NYC? The Jones Law Firm may be able to help you recover compensation. Call us today to schedule a free consultation.”
These detailed descriptions are much more likely to result in clicks than their generic counterparts.
3. Include Figures and Statistics
Nothing catches the eye of Google users quite like figures and statistics. Include them in your descriptions where possible.
The following sentences are excellent examples of how you can integrate figures and statistics into your messages:
- “We offer a 10-year / 100,000-mile warranty on all new cars!”
- “We’ve helped clients recover more than $100 million in damages!”
- “Drive home in a new truck for as little as $100 per month!”
- “Our products last 40 percent longer than the competition!”
You must ensure any figures or statistics you include in your descriptions are accurate. Misleading statements can land you in trouble with Google and harm your search engine rankings.
4. Avoid Duplication
Writing meta descriptions can be a somewhat tedious task. However, you should resist the urge to use the same message on all of your pages.
Duplicate meta descriptions are unlikely to entice users to visit your site. As a result, your click-through rate and search engine rankings may fall.
If Google notices duplicate meta descriptions, it may decide to penalize your website. Should this nightmare scenario occur, your website will plummet down the search engine rankings.
5. Include a Call to Action
You don’t want Google users to read your meta descriptions and move on. You want them to call you, visit your website, or take some other action.
Including one of these calls to action in your meta descriptions is the best way to ensure they follow the right procedure:
- “Visit our website to learn more!”
- “Give us a call today to set up a free consultation!”
- “Contact our team to schedule your free estimate!”
It is recommended to put your call to action at the end of your description.
Need Help? Contact the SEO Experts at FZA Digital Today!
If you need help writing meta descriptions for your website, please do not hesitate to get in touch with FZA Digital. We have been helping companies throughout North America climb the search engine rankings for years, and we would love to do the same for you.
To speak with a member of our team, all you need to do is fill out our brief online contact form or give us a call at (424) 232-0810.