In the past, if you wanted to boost your rankings, you would place keywords in the meta tag. Today, this practice has been discouraged as search engine spiders are able to decipher page content and determine the content of pages without using meta tags. This practice only helps your competitors and hurts your own rankings. Hence, it is important to use unique meta descriptions and Alt text to increase click-through rates.
Meta description is the ad copy that determines if users click on the result
The meta description is the ad copy that appears next to your organic search result and can make or break your ranking in the search engine results. It should be filled with descriptive words and calls to action. The meta description length, phrasing, and placement of keywords will depend on the context of your page. To find out what works best, test different versions of the meta description on landing pages with decent organic traffic.
Unique meta descriptions increase click-through rate
It’s no secret that unique meta descriptions increase click-through rates in search engine optimization. Search engine users read the meta description to decide whether to click on a link. If the description is relevant to the user’s intent, they’re more likely to click through and stay on the page, possibly converting. But what makes a good meta description? Listed below are some ways to make your meta description more compelling.
Keywords in meta descriptions can harm rankings in Bing
Although the use of keywords in meta descriptions does not hurt your rankings in Google or Yahoo, using them in your page’s content may. Using meta keywords tags is not a ranking factor for these search engines, and excessive use may cause a penalty. If you must use them, make sure to use them sparingly, and avoid keyword stuffing or putting unrelated keywords. While using keywords in your page’s meta description is still important, you should avoid stuffing it with irrelevant keywords.
Alt text is a meta tag for search engine optimization
An image can help your site rank higher in search engines if you use alt text. This simple description of an image serves two purposes. It serves as a substitute for the image in cases where a user’s agent does not support images or does not automatically load the graphics. Another use for alt text is when a server has problems or developers move an image folder and the images disappear. The alt text provides the user with context about the image, so they don’t have to click on a link to view the image.
Meta robots attribute can cause drastic decreases in SEO performance
There are two ways to control the indexing behavior of your website. You can either add a meta robots attribute (x-robots), or use the x-robots-tag to only control indexing of specific elements on a page. Both methods have their advantages, but there are some important differences. Using the x-robots attribute is recommended for search engine optimization, but should only be used as a last resort if the meta robots attribute has been severely compromised.
Optimum length of meta description
If you’re not familiar with the Optimum length of meta description for SEO, it is about 150-160 characters. A little bit more is acceptable if your description is more appealing, but it is not necessary to exceed that limit. As a general rule, Google prefers snippets of 120-156 characters. You can use less than that if you want to keep the meta description short and sweet.
Impact of keywords in meta description
The Meta Description, otherwise known as the short description of your webpage, is an integral part of your search engine optimization campaign. Search engine users use the description to highlight your keywords and decide whether to click on your link. When they do, they arrive at your landing page. Your meta description should be relevant to the user’s search query and draw them in. Relevant content will keep the user on your page and increase your chances of conversion.
