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What is a meta description?

Create a better Meta description that is better than the one Google would pick for you. Take matters into your hands to get better results

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

A meta description is an HTML attribute that provides a brief summary of a web page. Meta descriptions are typically used on search engine result pages (SERPs) to display preview snippets for a given page.

How can I create a better meta description?

The best way to create a good meta description is to think like your target audience. Write a brief, interesting description that will entice users to click through to your page. Keep it under 155 characters, as anything longer will be truncated on SERPs. In addition, use relevant keywords and phrases to help boost your ranking in search engines.

I trained to write better descriptions

In all the training at Wealthy Affiliate, they have a strong emphasis on fulfilling the complete template profile so that you achieve better SEO.

Now I am unsure which way to go because the rules keep changing. Therefore it is a bit of try it and see what happens

What are the benefits of creating a better meta description?

A well-written meta description can improve your click-through rate, which can lead to more traffic and potential customers for your business. In addition, a good meta description can help improve your ranking in search engines, as it is another factor that search engines take into account when determining where to rank your page.

Creating a better meta description is a simple way to improve your website and attract more visitors. By taking the time to write a brief, interesting description, you can increase traffic to your site and potential customers for your business.

When I don't write a meta what happens?

If you don't write a meta description, Google will automatically generate one for you based on the content on your page. However, this description may not be as effective as one that is hand-written, as it may not accurately reflect the content of your page or be as appealing to users. In addition, if you don't write a meta description, you are missing out on an opportunity to include relevant keywords and phrases that could help improve your ranking in search engines.

Does a Meta help with SEO?

A meta description is not a direct ranking factor for SEO. However, it is an important piece of on-page content that can influence your click-through rate, which is a key metric that search engines use to determine where to rank your page. In addition, a good meta description can help improve your ranking in search engines by including relevant keywords and phrases.

While a meta description is not a key ranking factor, it is still an important part of on-page SEO. A well-written meta description can help improve your click-through rate, which can lead to more traffic and potential customers for your business. In addition, a good meta description can help improve your ranking in search engines by including relevant keywords and phrases.

Creating a better meta description is a simple way to improve your website and attract more visitors. By taking the time to write a brief, interesting description, you can increase traffic to your site and potential customers for your business.

What should be included in a Meta description?

When writing a meta description, it is important to keep it under 155 characters. Anything longer will be truncated on SERPs. In addition, you should include relevant keywords and phrases to help improve your ranking in search engines. However, don't stuff your meta description with too many keywords, as this can come across as spam and hurt your click-through rate. Instead, focus on creating a brief, interesting description that will entice users to click through to your page.

What happens if my meta is too long?

If your meta description is too long, it will be truncated on SERPs. This can hurt your click-through rate, as users may not get a good idea of what your page is about and may not be enticed to click through. In addition, a long meta description can make it difficult for search engines to accurately index your page, which can hurt your ranking.

However, Wordstream said:

Google recently expanded the standard length for meta descriptions. Formerly, meta descriptions were recommended to be 160 characters or less in length.

As of 2017, Google will show up to 275 characters on the SERP. Therefore, you should optimize your meta description tags to be up to 275 characters long.

Then in May 2018, they updated that to 320 as per Yoast SEO

Importantly anything over 150 will be truncated and won't show under the search term except for the three dots … meaning more to come

What entices readers in a Meta?

The best practices for creating good meta descriptions are a lot like those for writing great ad text:

• Use researched, targeted keywords in your meta descriptions.
• Make sure they’re hyper-relevant to the content on each page; never use the same meta description across your whole site.
• Communicate benefits and urgency.
• Compel users to click to show them value and appeal to emotion.

Working without a Meta description

If you don't write a meta description, Google will pull information from your page to create a description for you. This may not accurately reflect the content of your page or be as appealing to users. In addition, if you don't write a meta description, you are missing out on an opportunity to include relevant keywords and phrases that could help.

Conclusion

This post has been written without including a Meta description. This is not my recommendation however it is becoming more common. The rules of Google are regularly changing so I thought I would give it a try. I use WordPress and Yoast SEO pro versions.

When searching material I noticed all leading players exceeded the 150-character limit when competing against each other.

In another post listed below, I have followed the rules so the results will be interesting and I shall write a summary in a month's time.

The changes in Meta Descriptions by Peter Hanley

• Blog SEO starts when you start for the best results
• The body beneath the heading and how to entice readers
• 7 Reasons to Write a Great Meta Description
• Do blogs get read, or are they a waste of time
• Is Bing a good search engine

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