Zyro encyclopedia
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What is a meta description?
A meta description is an HTML tag that contains a brief summary of a web page. Search engines display it as a snippet on result pages, right under the page title and URL.
The ideal meta description length is up to 160 characters, which is sufficient to create an engaging and descriptive snippet.
The meta description can be found in the <head> section of an HTML file and is identified by the meta description tag <meta name=”description” content=””>
The purpose of meta descriptions
Meta descriptions give searchers a little preview of what your page’s content contains.
A well-written meta description encourages users to visit your website and increases its click-through rate (CTR).
A high CTR rate signals to Google that your website is a good source of information. The more people click on your content, the higher your rank.
If the meta description is not specified, search engines generate one from your content based on users’ search queries. This isn’t recommended since Google might use an unimpactful sentence that doesn’t attract visitors.
How to write a good meta description for both users and SEO
The first thing to remember when writing a meta description is the length.
People use different devices to make a search query, which means results are displayed on different screen formats. A meta description with 160 characters is perfect for viewing on all devices.
Always include the page’s keyword, and put the most important information first. Explain the subject concisely, but descriptively enough so people are attracted to click and read your content.
To promote your content further, insert a call-to-action.
For example, if you’re selling software, invite people to click on your link by hinting at its features and benefits. Use action verbs like “discover”, “learn”, and “try”.
Above all, don’t deceive your readers. If your meta description is not relevant to your content, visitors will leave immediately and increase your bounce rate.
As an example, let’s take a look at LinkedIn’s meta description:
LinkedIn’s meta description is excellent since it clearly defines what they offer, the benefits of joining them, and how credible they are by showing how many members they have.
How to add a meta description with the Zyro Website Builder
Adding a meta description on a page made with the Zyro Website Builder is really simple, and can be done in three steps:
- On Zyro’s site editor, select Home from the top menu and click on the gear logo right next to the page title
- Choose Page Settings
- Head to the SEO tab and write the meta description in the Page description field
Adding a meta description manually
For advanced users and developers, it’s possible to add a meta description manually by editing the page’s HTML code.
To do so, access the HTML page using an FTP client and insert the following code between <head></head> tags:
| <meta name=”description” content=”The meta description goes here”> |
Replace “the meta description goes here” with your meta description, and save the changes.
