Meta Descriptions... not META Descriptions

How Long Can Meta Descriptions Be?

The standard used to be 165 characters, but in the last few years, Google changed the rules to allow longer meta descriptions.  Now you have 50-300 characters to work with.  You used to have 3 lines of description.  Now you have 4-6 lines.  Any time Google gives you the opportunity to get more words out in the public, you should go for it!  Use as many of those 300 characters as you can!

Google is trying to allow adequate space to provide a thorough enough description that searchers will be able to determine if they want to click through to your website.

Be Unique

Your meta description should be unique for your business and subpages.  You should not write a broad meta description and include it on all of your pages.

Ideally, you should write a unique meta description for every page on your website. 

Use Keywords

You'll want to identify a main keyword.  Scan your webpage.  Once you've decided a main keyword you want to optimize.  Make sure to include it in the meta description.  Google and other search engines will automatically boldface the keyword.

Potential customer's eyes are much more likely to be attracted to boldface keywords in the meta description.

But don't overdo it!  Google frowns on "keyword stuffing," and will actually reduce your ranking factor on Google.  This is going to sound silly, but when people figured out that using keywords increased the ranking factor, they started using them everywhere.  In fact, some would include full paragraphs of the keyword (in white text, on a white background) on a page to increase its ranking factor.  Google figured this out in 2003, and shut down efforts to stuff keywords.

So just scan your page for words that quilters would normally search for -- key words, such as quilt, class, fabric, notions, thread, block-of-the-month, BOM, sale, discount, free.  The list can go on and on. If you find you have a web page that has repeated keywords, make sure you add the keyword to the meta description.

(In the search screenshot below, notice my business name is boldfaced.  Thank you Google!)

Do Meta Descriptions Impact the Ranking Factor (algorithm)?

Generally speaking, the meta descriptions and keywords do not impact Google's ranking factor. But they CAN help a potential customer when they enter a search query.  A well-written meta description with keywords that match the search query will pop up higher in the search results.

But your click-through-rate (CTR) will definitely affect the ranking factor.  And potential customers are more likely to click on your website link if they are intrigued by your well-written meta description.

Why Doesn't Your Meta Description Show Up All The Time?

Because Google reserves the right to not use your meta description all the time.  In fact, about half the time, Google may not use your meta description.  In those instances, Google crawls through your website and comes up with it's own description.

So is it worth the time?  Of course!  Any time you have the opportunity to engage a new customer, you should take it.  

Where Do You Place the Meta Descriptions???

I wish I could help you, but I can't.  The answer is different for every website developer.  Check with your web customer service team, and they should be able to give you an easy answer.  

For my web developer, I simply have to edit the page, and the SEO boxes come up for me to fill.

I like to keep a spreadsheet of my descriptions for each page.  That way, if I make changes to the page, I am reminded to review and change the meta description as well.

Now go out there, and DESCRIBE yourself!!!

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