How to write meta descriptions that drive clicks and conversions

How to write meta descriptions that drive clicks and conversions

Any marketing specialist knows that SEO optimisation is about much more than simply adding a few keywords into your website’s page content. Another factor that helps businesses rank in the search results is a relevant meta description. In previous times, meta data was just another place to add your keywords, signifying the subject of your page, but with search engines getting smarter and things moving on, the meta description needs to work harder.

Today’s meta descriptions

Over the years, there have been various recommendations for the length and content of a meta description. Current guidelines state that they should be no more that 320 characters and should give a basic overview of what your site (or at least, that page) is about and a compelling reason to click the link. This sounds simple enough, but getting a user to click onto your site when you’ve only got a limited number of characters to work with can be pretty tricky.

Writing good meta descriptions

Writing a good meta description to aid your website SEO is something of an art. You need to produce something short and snappy that grabs a user’s attention in seconds and entices them to click through.

As such, you need to include some copy that offers a tangible benefit to customers. Think about how your product or service will make their life easier or better. Does your product identify a problem that many customers experience and solve it? Remember that if you are going to make a bold claim (i.e. we’re the cheapest/best/most environmentally-friendly), you need to be able to back it up.

Product and service pages

These are, on the whole, more straightforward to write. Let’s assume you’re selling a mascara. You could start by identifying a problem many women face (mascaras often run) and then solve it with your wonderful product.

For example:

Tired of your mascara running? Make it a thing of the past with OurBrand Mascara – long, luscious lashes that stay perfect all day.

In the same vein, let’s take an example of a beauty business that offers eyelash tinting. The meta description might read:

OurBrand Beauty offers high-quality, affordable eyelash tinting that lasts weeks. Kiss goodbye to your mascara and enjoy full, thick lashes 24/7 without lifting a finger.

Other pages

Other pages may prove trickier to write meta descriptions for, but you can still sell your business by writing something compelling and brand-focused. Push your unique selling point and include – where possible – variations on your key term. In doing this, however, you should ensure the description flows smoothly and doesn’t simply read like a list of keywords.

For example, a poor description might read something like this:

OurBrand Beauty is a beauty service in London that offers a range of wellbeing services including massage, facials and manicures. Our beauty salon is based in Hampstead…

A better one might read:

OurBrand Beauty is a leading salon in Hampstead offering a range of wellbeing services to make you feel fabulous. Enjoy first-class treatments from massages to manicures…

Think of the description as a sales tool, via which you draw customers in and get across your key message in a short space. For further assistance with writing effective meta descriptions or for general help with SEO optimisation, contact our SEO specialist today.

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