5 Tips for Masterful Meta Descriptions

Masterful Meta Descriptions That Boost Traffic

Getting better rankings is just a part of the solution to your online problem. If you can't attract people to click on your listing then even the number one place won't be of help.

What's the answer?

A masterful meta description!

Meta descriptions are often overlooked. You're limited to 160 characters, after all.

Those 160 characters that sit below your link in the search engine results can have a huge influence over who will visit your site.

Here's how to turn them from descriptions into sales pitches.

Include keywords

Yes, keywords are becoming less important in SEO, but they still occupy an important place.

Specifically, the search engines still highlight where they appear in search snippet.

Want to draw someone's eye to your listing?

A bit of bold text will do the trick – and having keywords that match the searcher's intent will do just that.

Plus, it will add weight to your page's SEO, which is always handy.

Summon the Buzz

Ever seen one of those 'you'll never guess what happened next' shares on social media and found yourself clicking on it?

Everyone gets drawn in by these at some time or other. (But really, you need to watch the YouTube video...It's brilliant.)

The reason they work is because they tempt the reader's curiosity and generate a certain amount of buzz.

Define your Unique Selling Proposition

Want to know why someone would click on search result listing?

Stand back and think about why they should click on your link.

The meta description is the place to get back to some basic sales strategy.

Think about what makes your page or company unique, what makes it stand out from your competitors. Then use it!

Ask yourself...What benefit will the searcher get by clicking on your page?

Model Industry Competitors

Once you've figured out how to be unique, the next step is to figure out how to be like your competitors.

These two things may sound like they're in opposition, but they're really not.

Your (successful) competitors will show you what works in terms of meta descriptions.

You can learn a lot from analysing the types of words they use, what phrases they like, and their use of punctuation.

Some meta descriptions are truly masterful.

Follow the Money and Borrow Some More Ideas

Another area to analyse for inspiration of masterful use of meta descriptions is the paid ad section of the search engine results.

The companies behind those ads have invested a lot of time and money in finding out what works for your industry, and, handily, have laid it all out in front of you.

Even better, there's a list of several of them in a row, allowing you to quickly see any commonalities that exist.

Need inspiration to create your own meta descriptions?

Simply read the ads and spot particular phrases or words that have been repeated.

Writing masterful meta descriptions is both art and science. A skill that takes some practice.

However, there are certain ways to make the process easier.

Looking at what others are doing in the search engine results is one of the best ways to save yourself more than a little time.