How to write a meta description? Rank higher on Google.

luckychauhan201820
Aug 26, 2022
3 min read

Updated: Aug 28, 2022

1. Expand on your title tag

Always think about the description as something that complements the title tag. Titles should summarize a page using a few main keywords that characterize the topic. The meta description offers a chance to expand on that further.

In the case above, the short description motivates users to click on broken link checker because:

It checks pages and websites.
It takes internal and external links into account.
The tool is fast.
It’s not a lead generation trap; you can use it on the page right away.

Don’t worry about shoehorning keywords here. It’s more important that you create something that connects with the reader and entices the click. Use your USPs where suitable.

2. Match search intent

Search intent is the ‘why’ behind a query. In other words, what are most people looking for when they search for your main keyword?

Do they want information?
Do they want to buy something?
Are they looking for a specific website?
Do they want a quick answer to a question?

You can use the search results as a proxy for this. Google strives to provide the most relevant results for searchers, so look for commonalities amongst the snippets of top-ranking pages.

For example, almost every result for “meta description” shows a definition in the snippet…

Right now, that length is 920px (~160 characters) on desktop and 680px (~120 characters) on mobile. Your best bet to keep them within length is to use a tool like this one, or a WordPress SEO plugin like Yoast with the functionality built-in.

Whether you’re better off optimizing for mobile or desktop users depends on your audience. If you generally go for longer descriptions for desktop users, make sure to get to the point by ¾ of the length so even mobile users can see it.

What’s the takeaway here? Be concise for users, not search engines. The length limit is a good signal that there might be unnecessary words.

3. Deploy the meta description

If you’re using a CMS, this is super easy. In Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, and most others, you’ll find a place to type or paste your meta description in the backend.In WordPress, plugins like Yoast and RankMath add this same functionality.

If you don’t use a CMS, just paste the meta description tag into the <head> section of your HTML code.

During the publishing process is not the only time you should take meta descriptions into account. You might already have pages that have a bad meta description or none at all.

There’s no point in auditing your whole website for meta descriptions. Instead, focus on pages that get the most search traffic. That’s when a better meta description can make a real difference.

You can find these pages in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools. Just make a free account, run a crawl with Site Audit, then go to Page Explorer and apply these filters:

Great meta description examples

Let’s wrap things up with a few examples of well-crafted meta descriptions across industries and search intents.

1. Healthline

Most searchers are seemingly looking for a definition here, so that’s what this meta description shows. It then prompts the reader to learn more about the benefits of glycine by clicking. Simple and efficient.

2. TimeOut

I thought that I would see mixed results of neighborhoods and hotels here, but the search results predominantly focus on Prague’s areas. And this description matches intent perfectly. It offers a solution in a concise, lighthearted, and actionable manner. Mentioning “five best “neighborhoods also tells the search they won’t have to spend an age reading it.

3. Patagonia

Here, the searcher is looking for sale items. I like the urgency signal initially; it feels more original and less aggressive than these tend to be. Then you see an affirmation of what you came for, ending with Patagonia’s distinctive asset: supporting sustainability and conservation.