Meta Descriptions: Does Google Put A Lot Of Value On Them?

When a user searches for a keyword on a search engine, all search results will show snippets that describe what the user will find when they click through a website.

These snippets are called “meta descriptions.” They help a website appear in search results, helping users decide whether to click through the link and visit the site. Aside from that, they can help search engines understand what a webpage is all about, too.

Are meta descriptions a ranking factor?

If you use a search engine optimization (SEO) tool to run an audit on your site, you can get a warning for missing or duplicate meta descriptions. This means that every page on your site must have a unique meta description as part of your SEO strategy.

But is meta description really a ranking factor?

The claim is that a meta description is a ranking factor because optimized metadata can help you rank higher in Google search results. In fact, Google’s Search Advocate Martin Splitt once shared in a video that we should not oversee adding them to our mobile pages as well.

He also added that meta descriptions and page titles not only give users a good first impression, but also help search engines obtain a summary of what users might consider important about a webpage.

While there are many SEO and digital marketing professionals that believe that meta descriptions have lost ranking value a long time ago; John Mueller, also a Google’s Search Advocate, clarifies that “meta descriptions can be used for the search result snippet, so if you don’t specify anything (on the mobile page, with mobile-first-indexing), we’ll have to figure it out ourselves. They’re not used for ranking though.”

This made a lot of SEO pros skeptical that Google may not be entirely honest about meta descriptions. Many believe that such metadata can be quite easy to manipulate – all you need to do is include the keywords you want to rank in those snippets. This was what a lot of SEO practitioners did back in 2005-2008. Onsite optimization was formulaic and they can easily change keywords in the meta descriptions, titles, subheadings, and more to see a dramatic change in the ranking.

So, are meta descriptions a ranking factor?

There is strong evidence that meta descriptions have not been a search ranking signal for such a long time now. This doesn’t mean, though, that marketers should disregard the role they play in SEO.

For one, meta descriptions improve click-through rates, differentiate your content from your competitors, and increase brand exposure.

How to create effective meta descriptions?

As far as meta descriptions go, search engines, like Google, use different sources to automatically determine the most relevant snippets to display for each search result. This includes information in the meta description that best describes what the page is all about. Aside from that, they also use rich results based on a page’s content and markup.

Because Google and other search engines do not have the ability to manually change the snippets of each site, it’s important for site owners to follow the best practices for creating relevant, high-quality meta descriptions.

·      Each page must have a unique meta description

Use meta descriptions that accurately describe a specific page. For your homepage or other aggregation pages, use site-level descriptions, and page-level descriptions elsewhere. If you can’t create a unique description for every single page, you can prioritize your content instead. Add a description for your homepage, popular pages, and other critical URLs.

·      Add relevant information about the content

Number one rule to follow when creating ameta descriptions – they need to have enough relevant information about the page to give users a good idea about a page, which may not be displayed in the snippet. In other words, a good meta description is one that provides users concise and accurate information about the page they are about to land on.

·      Generate meta descriptions programmatically

For news media sources and other similar sites, generating unique and accurate meta descriptions is not going to be a problem because each article has been hand-written, making it easier to add a one-sentence description. However, sites with larger databases, like product aggregators, hand-writing descriptions can be impossible. This is why programmatic generation of descriptions is highly recommended, especially for page-specific data.

·      Use quality descriptions

Remember to make meta descriptions as descriptive as possible. Since such metadata isn’t displayed in the pages that users see, it can be easy for them to dismiss your content and find something else. However, with high-quality descriptions, you can easily entice users into clicking through your links and visiting your site. Additionally, they can go a long way in improving the quality and quantity of your search volume.

Final thoughts

When writing meta descriptions, it’s also essential to make sure that each description will have your brand’s unique tone of voice and be consistent with your brand personality. Each meta description must be uniquely written to ensure that it amplifies your brand’s ecosystem. This is to ensure that your descriptions are able to reach the different personas you are targeting.