There are 1.9 billion websites online fighting for the attention of 4.1 billion people who have access to the internet.
Therein lies a massive problem for businesses today… it’s incredibly hard to cut through the clutter and consistently fuel your client pipeline.
One of the key difference makers in your ability to be successful in today’s digital landscape is investing in a high-quality website that puts emphasis on SEO.
SEO (search engine optimization) is the practice of optimizing your website’s content so it can be identified by search engines like Google. The better Google can parse your content and understand what it’s about, the higher chance you’ll have of rising up search engine results pages and bringing in quality leads.
In this article, our team will focus in on just one aspect of SEO, a blog description (or “meta-description”), and give you tips on how to maximize their effectiveness.
What Is a Blog Description?
“Blog description” is a term some people use interchangeably with the more widely encompassing term of “Meta-Descriptions”.
Meta-descriptions are snippets of text, typically around 160 characters long that inform search engines and readers what your webpage, website or blog is about.
This description is typed within the head of your page manually. It can also be inserted in your content management system’s description box within your article’s settings or your site’s global configuration.
Meta-descriptions show up in search engine results as small blurbs under your site’s link giving users information on what they’ll get by clicking onto your page.
How Can We Maximize The SEO Effectiveness of A Blog Description?
In order to writer killer meta-descriptions that improve your search rank, there are 6 core factors you’ll want to keep in mind not only when crafting your macro-site’s description but also when crafting the description for new articles you publish.
1. Keep Your Descriptions in the Vicinity of 160 Characters
There is a lot of debate over what the optimal length should be for a blog description. On the one hand, some people argue that the longer your descriptions are, the more information you’ll be giving Google.
In theory, that will let the search engine better understand what your content is about.
On the other hand, if your descriptions are too long, Google could ding you for “keyword loading” which is basically when people try to over-describe their content in hopes that it will be matched with a broader pool of searchers.
Our recommendation is to find a middle ground between concise and descriptive descriptions for the best results.
2. Always Have a Call to Action
Call to actions implore internet users to engage with you on a deeper level. While it’s common to include CTA’s in blog posts and on sales pages, many people leave these out of their descriptions.
To get people to click onto your page when they read your description in search engines, close them out by asking them to “Click here to find out more!”.
3. Your Description Needs to Match Your Content
Never write a meta-description that is misleading to consumers. It is poor practice among some webmasters to make false promises in their descriptions to get users to click onto their site and then not deliver on anything that was previewed.
While this may earn you clicks in the short-term, users will be upset when they find out they’ve wasted their time on your site.
Also, when users click onto your page and click away from it quickly after they realize they’ve been misled, Google will note your high “bounce-rate” and reduce your search engine placement.
4. Include a Keyword
If your content is leveraging a “focus keyword”, be sure to include that keyword in your meta-description. This will act as an additional flag to Google that your content should rank for your focus keyword.
It will also act a cue to readers that your article is on point with what they’re searching for.
5. Your Blog Descriptions Must be Unique
Any time you’re writing descriptions for your blog’s or website’s content, you need to craft something unique every time. If you start copying and pasting generic descriptions while only switching out a word or two, Google will flag your descriptions as duplicate content.
This flag will likely lead to penalties against your site and a unilateral reduction in your search engine placement.
6. Write in an Active Voice
Passive blog descriptions do nothing to inspire readers to click onto your page. The less clicks you get, the more Google and other search engines will notice that your pages aren’t connecting with their customers. This will lead to a reduction in your SEO ranking.
Consider the following two examples:
“This article contains information on aquariums. When you click on it, you can expect to have your aquarium related questions answered!”
VS
“Do you want to learn everything about aquariums? We’ve got you covered! Click here to have all of your biggest questions answered!”
The second description is active. It does much more to inspire confidence that the content behind the description is worth reading.
Wrapping Up Tips for Writing an SEO Optimized Blog Description
In order to maximize your blog description for SEO, you not only need optimize it for search engine bots but also for readers.
The more that search engines like your descriptions, the more likely they’ll be to push you up in results pages and get you in front of customers. The more that customers like your descriptions, the more likely they’ll be to engage with you which will solidify your placement!
Are you a business owner in the greater Connecticut area who is looking to maximize your online presence and grow your business exponentially?
If yes, our team can help.
At Optimum Systems Online, we help marketing agencies and business owners alike answer their SEO questions, build stunning websites, and ultimately, craft content that will lead to exponential customer acquisition and skyrocketing revenue.
Let us take our expertise and help you today!
Learn more about our services here or contact us for your breakthrough strategy consultation!
