(Newswire.net — March 19, 2018) — WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems that is used to build websites and blogs. It has many features that make the final product attractive to search engines. Additionally, developers can embellish the site with apt keywords and helpful meta descriptions to aid the SEO efforts and make the website catch the eye of search engines.
What are keywords?
Keywords are nothing but a combination of words and phrases that a visitor would begin his search with. An Australian business owner looking for SEO experts in his location would be likely to search for SEO Gold Coast, and that phrase should be present in the first few lines of the website of an SEO expert who offers services in the Gold Coast area.
What are meta descriptions?
The meta description is like a summary that explains what a website is about in few words. This brief description is critical for ranking as it lets search engines like Google know what content each webpage has, and the search engine then displays the website as per relevance to search queries. Meta descriptions are part of the header of a site, and they are created using HTML. In a search results page, the meta description comes just below the URL of the website that is listed in the search result, and the keywords used for the search remain marked in bold. WordPress also allows the addition of specific SEO plugins which can help you add appropriate meta descriptions.
If a website does not provide a good enough meta description, Google dynamically creates one that it feels best describes the site and its content. Some experts are of the opinion that this could go on to become the rule for all websites, and Google would create the meta descriptions to provide useful directions to a visitor. However, no one is sure if and when it will take place. That is why it is crucial that web marketers and SEO experts continue to make full use of this ‘free advertising’ that is on offer. Let’s discuss the rules of writing compelling meta descriptions.
Loud call to action
It is highly recommended that a meta description should motivate the visitor to click on the WordPress website when they see it on a results page. Actions like ‘learn how to…’, ‘discover the best…’ or ‘solve your…’ can make the meta description more attractive, and can get the visitor in.
Short and sweet
The meta description has a character limit of less than 200. So, you need to briefly explain why the user should visit your site and what you have to offer. It is the internet equivalent of an elevator pitch. Google does not measure the extent of a meta description by characters, but it does so by the number of pixels.
Relevance is key
If you think stuffing a meta description with loads of keywords will bring you excellent results, you are wrong! You should only insert the keywords that will be most relevant for that particular page. You are already low on space. So, make every character count, and avoid fillers at all cost. The description should read nicely and should also convey the message adequately.
Specific benefits
The meta description cannot be used as a synopsis of the webpage. Instead, it should list the solution or benefit that the visitor can expect by browsing through the website. The more creatively you can sell your service or product in a few words, the better will be your meta description writing skills.
Honesty – the best policy!
Many web developers go overboard while drafting meta descriptions which they think will be attractive to visitors. However, embellishing the reality to appear perfect to the customer may backfire. If the customers do not find truth in what you are claiming, they leave the site immediately. Therefore, the meta description should talk about what is there on the website.
Do it before someone else does
Like we mentioned at the beginning of the article, if a meta description is poorly drafted, Google takes it upon itself to provide a snippet of information about the website. That would drive away the SEO power that the web developer controls. That is why it is much better to spend time and effort on drafting a good meta description instead of allowing Google to do it, and lose the opportunity of self-promotion.
WordPress does offer several options to improve the SEO capabilities of a website, and a good meta description is one of them. Instead of worrying about meta descriptions becoming redundant, a web developer should make all efforts to get the best out of them.