{"id":128392,"date":"2019-05-22T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-22T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginewatch.com\/?p=128392"},"modified":"2019-08-22T17:44:26","modified_gmt":"2019-08-22T17:44:26","slug":"nine-types-of-meta-descriptions-that-win-more-clicks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/05\/22\/nine-types-of-meta-descriptions-that-win-more-clicks\/","title":{"rendered":"Nine types of meta descriptions that win more clicks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you putting enough thought into your meta description tags? If not, you\u2019re missing out. Yes, your meta description tag should describe your post but many companies and websites will go well beyond that to carefully craft descriptions that can massively increase their click-through rate from search engines<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You can do the same. We\u2019re going to take a look at nine types of meta descriptions<\/a> that can help you get more clicks.<\/p>\n

For each, I\u2019ll walk you through an example, showing you what\u2019s working well with that meta description tag and what it could potentially be doing better.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to pick just one of these methods to use. You might want to focus on a particular angle, like writing a meta description tag that\u2019s “call-to-action<\/a>” focused but add in something else too like power words or a USP.<\/p>\n

Here are nine different ways you can approach meta description<\/a> tags:<\/p>\n

1. Clarity focused<\/h2>\n

Meta description tags should be clear, letting the searcher know what they\u2019re going to get. After all, if you confuse people, they\u2019re not going to click through.<\/p>\n

\"Snippet<\/h2>\n

What works well\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This description takes a \u201cwhat it says on the tin\u201d approach in describing the website. It\u2019s very clear about who the target audience is – \u201cnerds and average Joes\u201d rather than, for instance, hardcore bodybuilders. It also clearly and succinctly explains the benefits the site can provide for the searcher with the description line, \u201close weight, get stronger, live better\u201d.<\/p>\n

Room for improvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The title tag and meta description are repetitive. The second part of the title tag (after the colon) is the same as the second sentence in the meta description. It would read better if these were both different, this would also provide room to give more information or benefits.<\/p>\n

The title tag also appears to be targeting generic keywords<\/a> like \u201close weight\u201d, so it might be better to focus on more specific keywords<\/a> here.<\/p>\n

2. USP focused<\/h2>\n

A \u201cUSP\u201d is a company\u2019s \u201cunique selling point\u201d. It\u2019s something that distinguishes their product from all the other similar products out there. The USP could be based on added value, quality, service, speed, advanced features, or almost anything else that acts as a differentiator.<\/p>\n

Leading with a USP can work particularly work well for site homepages, where the meta description might otherwise seem rather generic.<\/p>\n

\"Snippet<\/p>\n

What works well<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Zappos is well known for its outstanding customer support and in the United States, it\u2019s often considered the gold standard for online businesses. Here, Zappos communicates this through several strong USPs like \u201cfree shipping and returns\u201d, \u201c1000s of styles\u201d, \u201c365-day return policy\u201d, and \u201c24\/7 customer service\u201d.<\/p>\n

The word \u201clegendary\u201d helps emphasize how Zappos is famed for its customer service and makes them sound a bit more epic. (See point six\u00a0for more on using power words in your meta description tag.)<\/p>\n

Room for improvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is a little picky, but all caps plus an exclamation point for \u201cGET FREE SHIPPING & RETURNS!\u201d comes across as a little shouty. It makes it seem like Zappos is trying a bit too hard, and doesn\u2019t really convey quite the right feel for a large, professional company.<\/p>\n

3. Question focused<\/h2>\n

People tend to turn to search engines because they\u2019ve got a question so why not ask them one to help show that you know what they\u2019re looking for?<\/p>\n

This is my go-to type of meta description when I\u2019m struggling with ideas<\/a> and it works in almost all contexts.<\/p>\n

\"Snippet<\/p>\n

What works well<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If someone\u2019s searching for SEO tips, asking if they\u2019re interested in learning more about SEO will almost certainly get a positive response \u2013 they\u2019re hardly going to say \u201cnope\u201d! The inclusion of \u201cin 2019\u201d helps suggest that the advice provided will be up-to-date, and \u201ckey trends\u201d also ties in with this, indicating that this article will focus on tips that follow the latest thinking in the SEO industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Room for improvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is very picky, but the URL and the date stamp that appear immediately before this meta description tag both include \u201c2018\u201d. It\u2019s obvious if you think about why this is the case. This post was published at the end of 2018, looking toward trends in 2019 but it could create a brief moment of confusion for a searcher who\u2019s scanning through results quickly.<\/p>\n

4. Purpose-focused<\/h2>\n

In some cases, it might be appropriate to emphasize a greater purpose behind your website, whether that’s a particular corporate value or a very practical way in which you make a difference. This can provide searchers with an additional incentive to check out\u00a0your\u00a0site rather than the others.<\/p>\n

\"Snippet<\/p>\n

What works well<\/strong><\/h3>\n

TOMS’ purpose is very clear from this short, easy-to-read description. They\u2019re not driven by profit, but instead by helping others. Even if the searcher hasn\u2019t heard of them and their \u201cOne for One\u201d policy, it\u2019s clear what it means from the context and the \u00ae icon helps indicate that it\u2019s a recognized and registered policy.<\/p>\n

Room for improvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It isn\u2019t actually clear what TOMS sells. They started as a company selling shoes and matching each pair sold with a new pair given to a child in need. They now sell shoes and sunglasses, but you wouldn\u2019t know that from the meta description tag above.<\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0<\/strong>Since the initial research for this post, TOMS has indeed updated their title tag to include shoes and sunglasses, but their meta description tag still uses the rather generic word \u201cproduct\u201d.<\/p>\n

5. Call-to-action focused<\/h2>\n

Providing a call-to-action in your meta description tag might sound unusual, but for many products, it makes great sense. A clear call-to-action can prompt searchers not only to click but to also do something once they arrive on your site.<\/p>\n

\"Snippet<\/p>\n

What works well<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The call to action is both clear and repeated with statements like \u201cDownload the full version\u201d and \u201cStart your free trial today\u201d. Having it at both the start and end of the meta description emphasizes it, especially with the word \u201cfree\u201d being used in both places.<\/p>\n

Room for improvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The second sentence of the meta description tag is fairly generic, \u201cphotos, images, 3D artwork and more\u201d. Given that Adobe is a huge brand, it might be worth it for them to try a little harder here to add more appeal to creative types, perhaps by using some stronger power words. (See point seven.)<\/p>\n

6. Offer focused<\/h2>\n

This type of description combines a question or a point of curiosity with specific offers to entice readers to click through.<\/p>\n

\"Snippet<\/p>\n

What works well<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Starting with a question, as we\u2019ve seen already, can help get an easy \u201cyes\u201d. The offers here sound impressively good, a four-star London hotel for \u00a321 definitely sounds attractive. Including details of “The Savoy” makes it clear that KAYAK isn\u2019t just for bargain hunters, though, and includes prestigious hotels too.<\/p>\n

Room for improvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I\u2019m a bit of a stickler for making sure meta descriptions are within the limits and not truncated with the \u201c…\u201d at the end, but some SEOs feel this approach entices the user to click through. You might want to try using an SEO tool that helps check the meta content<\/a> preview for length and strength, and see how it works for you.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a small detail, but it seems a little odd that KAYAK has \u201c3 stars from \u00a333\u201d and \u201c4 stars+ from \u00a321\u201d \u2013 which is significantly cheaper. Obviously, there are lots of reasons this could be the case (e.g. location, special details) but it might cause a brief moment of confusion or even skepticism for the reader.<\/p>\n

7. Power words focused<\/h2>\n

Focusing on power words like \u201cincredible\u201d, \u201cpowerful\u201d, \u201csecret\u201d, \u201clittle-known\u201d, and so on can help make your meta description tag stand out. Smart Blogger has an enormous list of power words here<\/a> if you need some more suggestions. Be careful to not overdo it, though. If you stuff your keyword description with power words, it\u2019ll look over-hyped.<\/p>\n

\"Snippet<\/p>\n

What works well<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The words \u201cfree\u201d and \u201cexpert\u201d both work well to grab attention. \u201cFree\u201d is always a good promise and \u201cexpert\u201d implies that this advice will be well worth following and ensures that it will go beyond the basics. In the final sentence, \u201ccomplete\u201d is also a good power word as it suggests the searcher won\u2019t need to turn to any other resource if they use this one.<\/p>\n

Room for improvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The sentence \u201cGet your complete online career advice service\u201d reads rather oddly. It reads more like it\u2019s been optimized for search engines rather than for the people reading it. I\u2019d suggest something like \u201cWe\u2019re your complete online career advice service\u201d or \u201cUse our complete online career advice service\u201d (and even those might sound a little over-optimized).<\/p>\n

8. Special characters focused<\/h2>\n

Including symbols and emojis in your meta description tag can help it visually stand out in a sea of words. Depending on your brand, it could tie in well with your values. For example, if you want to come across as playful, or if you\u2019re a brand aimed at teens you could\u00a0focus on conveying the \u201cfun\u201d element.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that some searchers may react negatively to symbols and emojis, considering them unprofessional or even spammy.<\/p>\n

\"Snippet<\/p>\n

What works well<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The green boxes with check marks catch the searcher\u2019s eye, drawing them to the listing. They help to highlight key points in the listing with \u201cthe best deals\u201d, \u201cthe lowest prices\u201d, and \u201cgreat savings\u201d.<\/p>\n

Room for improvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This meta description tag is written in a rather generic way probably because eBay has automatically created it according to a set of rules. The exact same description could be used for many other pages with just the words \u201cTemporary Tattoos\u201d changed, so it lacks relevance.<\/p>\n

9. Solution-focused<\/h2>\n

One final approach to meta description tags is to focus on the solution or win that you\u2019re providing for searchers. This type of meta description will promise something that the searcher will achieve through buying from the website or in some cases, simply from reading the content on a site<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Snippet<\/p>\n

What works well<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This meta description tag starts with a question that searchers are very likely to say \u201cyes\u201d to. The question \u201cWant to learn how to snowboard in a day?\u201d offers a clear outcome for the reader and also brings in a USP with \u201cthe quickest training method\u201d implying that it\u2019s quicker than other similar companies.<\/p>\n

Room for improvement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cRecreational standard\u201d lacks clarity, and sounds rather like in-house lingo. Total beginners may not know what this really means, so it would be better to use language that their target audience will understand.<\/p>\n

Meta descriptions can make or break how much SEO traffic you get. A great meta description tag will allow any page (including your homepage) to punch above its weight on Google, getting you more clicks through an increased-click through rate, potentially even a higher ranking.<\/p>\n

Joe Williams is founder of Tribe SEO. He can be found on Twitter at\u00a0@joetheseo<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ll walk you through nine types of meta description tags with screenshots and examples, showing you what works well and how they could do better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1092,"featured_media":128399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,5],"tags":[23548,456,75,27442,27485,180,27170,93,46,22,109],"content_type":[],"class_list":["post-128392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-content","category-seo","tag-call-to-action","tag-click-through-rate","tag-content-2","tag-meta-content","tag-meta-content-tags","tag-meta-descriptions","tag-meta-titles","tag-search-engines","tag-search-marketing","tag-seo","tag-serp"],"acf":{"tad_independentcommercial":false,"tad_content_format":false},"post_info":{"name":"idris.nagri@blenheimchalcot.com idris.nagri@blenheimchalcot.com","title":"","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Nine-types-of-meta-descriptions-that-win-more-clicks-120x90.png","category":"Content","timeago":"7y"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128392","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1092"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128392"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128392\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128392"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128392"},{"taxonomy":"content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_type?post=128392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}