If the title tags are the headline for your search engine ad, then the meta descriptions are the text or the body of your ad. You have space for more words than you do in a title tag (Google will display 154 meta description characters in the search results). So you can expand a bit more on what your webpage will offer the visitor. The Meta Tags will not improve your search results rankings, however, they can improve your click-through rates as people browse through the various listings that google displays.

Check out the descriptions for these listings when I search for “Windows 7 vs Snow Leopard”

Windows 7 vs Snow Leopard Search

Windows 7 vs Snow Leopard Search

Take some time to look at these and see which descriptions you think are the most effective. Which ones stand out more? What are you more likely to click on? I found myself drawn to this one: “CNET Labs’ Dong Ngo tests the two operating systems side by side and finds that while Snow Leopard is faster with Apple software, Windows 7 is the way to go …”

Google offers its own guidelines for meta descriptions. Here are the basic rules of thumb:

  • Use different descriptions for different pages – Every page should have a unique meta description.
  • Use clearly tagged facts – For example, you can tag an author or a price to be included.
  • Programmatically generate your descriptions – Example…Wordpress blogs automatically generate this for you.
  • Focus on Quality Descriptions – Just because this content isn’t always shown on your site, don’t forget the importance of creating quality text. It will pay dividends in the search engines.

Similar to title tags, when you think about writing a meta tag, think as if you are writing copy for a paid advertisement that you are placing on the Internet. Hopefully, if you are paying for an ad, you will take some time thinking about your headline and your ad text and what you can do to attract visitors and convert leads or sales. Your title tags and meta descriptions are the headline and ad text for your “natural” search engine ad. Approach these elements as if you were paying for them.