Description: what is your page about?

The HTML meta description provides a description of your web page. Although it does not directly affect your search ranking. It plays a crucial role in how your website appears in search results. Which can be a make or breaker whether people click on the link.

In this article, we'll discuss what the meta description is, why it's important for SEO, how to write it effectively, and some best practices to maximize its impact.

How do you add an HTML meta description?

An HTML meta description is an HTML tag that provides a brief summary of the content of a web page. This tag is located in the <head> section of an HTML document and looks like this:

Why is the description important?

The meta description plays an important role in obtaining clicks from the search results. A well-written description indicates what the user can expect and therefore encourages them to click on your link. Although Google indicates that meta descriptions are not a direct ranking factor, a higher click-through rate can indirectly contribute to better SEO performance.

A clear and relevant meta description helps users quickly determine what the page is about. This can improve the user experience by ensuring that users are not likely to bounce because they knew what to expect.

Additionally, when your web pages are shared on social media, the meta description often appears as the link summary. An attractive meta description can improve visibility and engagement on social media.

What is a good description?

A good meta description should provide a clear and concise summary of the content of the page. Avoid unclear or generic descriptions and focus on providing valuable information that helps users understand what to expect.

Although meta descriptions are not a direct ranking factor, using relevant keywords helps tailor the description to the user's search query. Search engines often highlight the search terms in the meta description that match the user's query, which can increase visibility.

The ideal length for a meta description is up to 160 characters. This ensures that the full description appears in search results without being truncated.

Common mistakes

Meta descriptions that are too long are cut off in the search results, which can cause important information to be lost. Stick to the recommended length of less than 160 characters to ensure your full text is displayed.

Not using a meta description can lead to less control over how your page appears in search results. In such cases, a search engine may choose a random fragment of the page to display, which may not be representative of the content.

The excessive use of keywords in your meta description can seem unnatural and reduce readability. Write for users, not search engines.

Examples

- Bad: "Buy our products online."
- Good: "Discover our collection of high-quality laptops, desktops and accessories. Free shipping on orders above €50. Buy now at SampleWinkel.nl!"

- Bad: "Read our blog about travel tips."
- Good: "Plan your next adventure with our top 10 travel tips. From budget-friendly destinations to must-have gadgets"

- Bad: "Check out our laptops."
- Good: "The Dell XPS 13 offers powerful performance and a stunning display. Get 10% off and free shipping today"