The perfect meta description: How it works!
Why meta data for my website?
Only with meta data will your advertising messages be visible in the SERPs of the search engine. Without meta data, the search engine generates its own meta data from the existing content of the website. Metadata in the form of a meta title and a meta description must be stored for each website. Ideally, this data reflects the page-specific content of your website. The data will be visible in the organic search and the display of the page in the search results.
For many users, the meta descriptions are the first point of contact with your website. A good meta description and a good meta title decide whether the user finds your ad in the SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages = search result page) interesting enough to click on it. In this blog post, we give you tips on how to write the perfect meta description for your target audience. Here we go!
Technical requirements for the meta descriptions
The meta description influences the CTR (click-through rate) and is therefore indirectly a ranking factor. For this reason, as part of search engine optimization, you should think as much as possible about the target group and edit the meta data accordingly.
Technically, the meta description shouldn’t be longer than 156 characters (spaces included), otherwise the search engine will truncate it and the user won’t see the full message you’re trying to convey.
Content requirements for meta descriptions
With the descriptive texts, you should first think about the search intentions of the users: Which keywords would I like to be found with? What is the topic of my landing page? – Depending on the orientation, the keyword should, of course, appear in the title as well as in the description text.
Furthermore, good meta data should be structured according to the AIDA principle in order to increase the CTR in the long term. ATTENTION: Use rich snippet extensions and special characters such as ” ► ▼ ✓ ➜” to draw attention to yourself. A clear thematization of the website content helps the users with further orientation and the classification of your content. Interest: If you have certifications or other social proof elements, include them in the meta description. This section is about getting the customer excited about your product or service. For example, use your Trusted Shops reviews to show your customers that you have a reputable online shop.
DESIRE: Desires drive us humans. It is now a matter of picking up on the 156 characters in the searcher’s wish. The keyword analysis, which shows you what the user is looking for, is all the more important. The desire to learn more about your services should be awakened in the user. ACTION: The clear request (call to action) should skillfully round off your meta description and give the user no other chance than to visit you.
Best Practice Example: Meta Descriptions In this example, you can see the meta data of our online marketing agency. In the title, we go into our core service and pick it up again in the descriptive text. The Google certification brings the proof character into the meta description,and with the arrow to the call to action, we get the user from the SERPs to our site.
Best practices in eCommerce using JTL Software as an example
Every shop system has its own special requirements when it comes to search engine optimization. As an example for voluminous pages, we would like to explain meta data optimization using the example of JTL software. Basically, online shops have a hierarchical structure. The home page takes you to the category pages, and these are the item detail pages. At JTL, this meta data is controlled via merchandise management (JTL Wawi). Appropriate SEO plug-ins should standardize the work with the meta data, but we see the problem with this approach in that one cannot work with a standard that is true to the AIDA principle.
In order to achieve a balance between effort and sustainable income, you should not subsequently adjust all meta data manually at the product level. In this case, bulk processing helps, which can be carried out with IF functions and references within Excel. The best workflow is, of course, when attention is paid to the meta data when the product is created and guidelines accompany product data maintenance.
Depending on the size of the project, maintaining the meta data is a really hard job. But: No pain, no gain!
5 meta data tips to finish:
- Use special characters and rich snippet data for more attention
- Avoid duplicate meta descriptions
- Use OG tags for social media platforms
- Leverage Schema.org structured data
- Use your creativity. Don’t look at what others are doing, think about your target group and address them directly!
Conclusion:
Don’t hide your website; create or check your meta data. We would be happy to support you!
Are you interested in learning more about the JTL shop system? Then we recommend downloading our free JTL Performance Booster Magazine.
