The meta description, also called meta description, is an HTML attribute that is placed in the meta tags of a web page to provide a brief summary of the page's content for search engines and users. This summary is used to give users a glimpse of the page's content before they click on it. This can help increase the click-through-rate (CTR) of a web page by piquing the interest of users and enticing them to click on the link to the web page in the search results.
Function and meaning of a meta description
The meta description does not directly influence the search engine ranking of a web page, but it plays a crucial role in improving the click-through rate by giving users a quick overview of the content of a page. The more appealing and relevant the meta description is, the more likely users are to click on the link to the web page. Accordingly, a well-written meta description can lead to an increase in website visitors and potentially higher conversions.
Tips for an effective meta description
- Length: The ideal length of a meta description is between 50 and 160 characters. A description that is too short may not give enough information, while one that is too long will be truncated and displayed incompletely.
- Relevance: The meta description should accurately reflect the content of the web page and be relevant to the user. Try to use the most important keywords and phrases in the description, but avoid keyword stuffing.
- Uniqueness: For each page on your website, write a unique meta description that describes the specific content of that page. Duplicate or generic descriptions are usually less appealing.
- Call to Action: If necessary, include a call-to-action in the meta description to motivate the user to click and visit the page.