With over 5.6 billion Google searches being conducted every day, and thousands of pages ranking for each search query in a matter of seconds, the importance of having your website optimized for organic SEO is preeminent. While the content of your site is truly what aids in a higher ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs), having appealing and optimized titles and meta descriptions written by marketing agency Apex NC is the “first impression” your page has with a user. Depending on the readability, relativeness, and length of your meta description, users can choose to scroll or click on your content, impacting a page’s click-through rate (CTR) which then in return has a positive effect on a page’s ability to rank. Optimizing your meta descriptions may initially seem daunting, but not with the utilization of Red Shark Digital’s SEO services near me. We have created a cohesive list of characteristics that should be included in every meta description to help you continue to gather clicks and climb the ranks.

What is a meta description?

The meta description is a HTML tag that summarizes a page’s content on a SERP. A page’s meta description tag is displayed as part of the search snippet and is meant to give the user an idea of the content that exists within the page and how it relates to their search query.

How long is a meta description?

Technically, meta descriptions can be any length, but Google typically trims snippets to be around 155-160 characters. This means your description should be long enough to be sufficiently descriptive, but not so in-depth readers are missing the point. The “optimal” length for a meta description varies depending on the situation, so keep the primary goal of providing value and driving clicks at the forefront.

How to Optimize a Meta Description for Organic SEO

Because meta descriptions can have an indirect effect on search rankings by significantly impacting user behavior, it's important to put some effort into writing them. By optimizing your meta to be as user-friendly as possible, you have the ability to increase your page ranking and traffic. Red Shark Digital, marketing agency Apex NC recommends to:

• Prioritize SEO
• Differentiate your Descriptions
• Focus on the Online User

Prioritize SEO

Determining your focus keyphrase is the first and one of the most significant steps in establishing your SEO research. A focus keyword is a phrase that you would like your page to rank for. Prioritizing your keyphrase while creating your meta description will easily assist people who are searching for information regarding the specific phrase. If the searched keyphrase matches text located within the meta description, search engines are more prone to provide your link towards the top of the page by highlighting the phrase in the results.

Differentiate Descriptions

While creating and optimizing your meta descriptions, it is crucial to ensure that each page has its own unique description. Even if the page titles are different, the pages will appear the same to the online user due to the matching descriptions. Each individual page should undergo its own SEO research, preferably conducted by a digital marketing agency near me. Therefore, the meta will contain a particular description and keyphrase fit for the specified page.

Focus on the Online User

After completing organic SEO research and defining your keyphrases, it is imperative that your description is focused on the potential consumer. Your meta description will however vary depending on which page you are describing. For example, your product pages need to emphasize how this product will guarantee to make the customer’s life better. On the other hand, home and about pages should spotlight your overall brand and how it’s targeted toward the online user’s exact needs. While conducting your SEO research, your meta description should always continue to be catered to the consumer, as the consumer remains the number one concern.

Red Shark Digital | SEO Services Near Me

Incorporating these characteristics presented above within your meta description will not only allow your website to rank higher within search engine results, but your website will also begin generating higher web traffic. SEO research can be strenuous and may feel overwhelming while attempting to create numerous different meta descriptions. If you find yourself struggling to get the hang of it, contact Red Shark Digital, marketing agency Apex NC today.