Writing a Meta description in a way to woo readers. This is the second most important element of page/post building for all writers
What is a meta description
It is a short form description of the content to follow. It is about it's self in popular terms.
Google uses this in the search engine to help people decide which post or page they should read.
With about ten entries per google search you really need to stand out from the crowd.
You meta may be hidden from the page
Whist the Meta may be hidden on your page many believe that is should be included as the first paragraph of your web page or post.
If you don't do this Google will take a snippet from your page to explain the content. Some times not quite what you wanted.
The art of attraction using a great Meta description
What can you say in at least 120 words and no more than 150 that will act like flypaper grabbing readers to read what you offer.
There are some rules to follow so lets get them out of the way before we start to play with words.
| Always start with a capital letter | And then end without a full stop |
| Use your Keyword in the phrase | This to be an exact match |
| Provide a list number | My 8 ways to success |
| Insert a call to action | Read the article now |
| Dates can be used | Born between 1945 and 2010 |
| Clearly explain the purpose | Why should they read on |
| Be controversial | Yoast is wrong about writing a meta |
| Or perhaps ( a little) bold | Tell them what you think |
When you search for the best uses of this form you will see many examples of descriptions going from good to great
What is Important to you is your intent
When I say intent I mean how you drag my eyeballs to your content from among the many competitors on a search page.
If I want to write a great headline I wont read about a Meta description it is that simple.
Shopify is about ecommerce not about a meta description so it is only useful if that is what I need.
You read these everyday so you really understand what they are offering. Check any page of results and see what you would read.
You should understand that to get read generally means you must be on the first page of a search term, in fact in the first three lines of that term. This is where 90% of the traffic comes from, therefore your call to attention needs to be better than the others.
There are tools that can help
As a WordPress user I use the Yoast SEO plugin that helps structure your description. Neil Patel goes deep into this as does Monsterinsights and others.
Practice will bring performance, I was going to say perfection however that, in my mind, won't happen.
The Wealthy Affiliate training really takes this to another level and is well worth viewing.
Combining your Meta with your headline
The two are inseparable and dance together capturing clicks and time onsite.
Did you know that if your headline is 6 – 8 words, it can increase your click-through-rate (CTR) by 21%? Amazing, isn’t it?
Add to that a power Meta description and your chance of success is magnified greatly.
The best content in the world is useless unless it is read and this exercise in delivery will allow that to happen.
My Meta on meta
The use of a great description is such an important subject aligned with a great headline that you really should revise some of your old stuff. No not the headline however the meta may better relate to the subject and take a bit of enhancing.
Keywords. Titles and descriptions take you from amateur status to professional if done correctly. Spending more time on these critical elements will mean more readers and hence greater income.
Writing a Meta description in a way to woo readers by Peter Hanley
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