SEO Best PracticesHow to Write Meta Descriptions

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What’s a Meta Description?

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A Meta Description describes the content of a page to search engines and users. They’re frequently used on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) to preview a web page result.

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Effective meta descriptions are sales pitches just waiting to be given to your prospective customers.

If they’re done right, they increase the likelihood that more searchers will click through from the SERP to your website.

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High-quality meta descriptions can go a long way to improving the quality and quantity of your search traffic.

And that’s the point of it all, isn’t it?

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How do you write a high-quality meta description?

Here are 7 easy steps

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Step 1

Focus on the main point of your page. Ask yourself: what’s your page all about?

Make sure your descriptions are truly descriptive.

Meta descriptions that tell users exactly what they will find on your page are what improve click-through rates (CTR).

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Step 2

Use your keywords wisely.

And by that we mean no keyword stuffing.

Choosing a keyword that is likely to be searched on and accurately describes your page will.

Listing off a set of keywords in an attempt to up your SEO cred will not attract users to click on your page.

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Step 3

Tell the user why your content is valuable.

What’s in it for the user if he/she visits your page?

Tell them in your compelling meta description.

What will they learn? Why click on your link? 

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Step 4

Keep the length to155 characters ...max. Google counts pixels not characters to keep its

descriptions looking pretty.

The 155-character limit will keep you from that fate.

If you go over the pixel length, Google will simply cut off your description.

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Step 5

Avoid quotes and non-alpha characters.

When quotes are used in the description, Google cuts off the description.

If you find you simply cannot live without a quote, then use single quotation marks (‘) instead of double (“).

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Step 6

Write a meta description for every page. It makes no sense to write descriptions for only

some pages of your site. After all, all your pages are important or they

wouldn’t be part of your site.

Your pages deserve the respect of a compelling meta description that will drive users to them.

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Step 7

Make sure that every meta description is unique.

Identical or similar descriptions on every page are not helpful when individual descriptions appear on SERPs.

Since every page on your site has a different purpose...

Create descriptions that accurately describe the page.

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Tip 5

The TakeawayBecause meta descriptions aren’t displayed on the pages users see, they’re easy to let slide. But high-quality meta descriptions can go a long way to improving the quality and quantity of your search traffic.

And since that’s the point of it all, they’re worth your time and effort.

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Want to learn more about effective SEO?

Visit VONT

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About VONT Performance Digital Marketing

At VONT we believe that change is the only constant in the digital world – and that excites us. When tools and environments are constantly changing, new opportunities to help our clients achieve success are constantly arising. Each new advertising technology, social platform, or design approach allows us to improve on the results we achieve for our clients.

We believe in this idea of continual fine-tuning so much that we named our company VONT, which means to achieve exponential improvement in incremental steps. It is our core belief, and the reason why we are not simply a web design company or simply a digital advertising agency, but rather a long-term, single source partner providing a comprehensive array of web development and digital marketing capabilities.

In short, we’re here so that our clients achieve success in the ever-changing digital world.