Meta tags help searchers decide if they want to click through to your site when it comes up on the search engine results page. They tend to get short shrift from website owners who don’t realize how important they are.
There’s a good reason for the neglect. Google has consistently stated since 2007 that they don’t count in the search engine rankings. And perhaps technically they don’t. But they definitely affect how interesting and useful your site looks to people using search engines.
Why Care About Meta Tags
The meta tags on your website are mini-sales pitches. It is another chance to attract the exact audience you want to convince to come to your site. The more care you take to craft effective ones, the more visitors you can get from traffic to the search results page.
An engaging, relevant tag gives you a chance to persuade searchers to choose your page over all the others on the search engine results page.
How To Entice Searchers
A great meta tag is persuasive. The right franchise meta tag can make the person looking for the perfect fast food business click when your offer comes up in the search results. In just a few words, it tells them you have the solution to their problem, the money-making opportunity they have been looking for.
Well written meta tags have six components. They offer a call to action, talk about benefits, get people curious, are short, give accurate information and are relevant. Here is a look at each in detail.
#1. Active Wording
Good meta tags use words that are action packed, just like an effective call to action. They tell the visitor what your site will give them if they click through. Here are examples of effective words to use in your descriptions:
- Grab
- Discover
- Learn
- Be your own boss
Benefit-Oriented
Effective tags tell the reader what benefits he will get by clicking through to your page. For example, for a person looking for business opportunities, write a sentence that previews the deals on your site.
Make Them Curious
Spark the curiosity of your readers. Your tag should make them want to find out more based on the few words you’ve written. Provide enough information to tell the viewer what they will find at your site, but just enough to get them to click on through.
Keep It Short
Meta tags need to be under 155 characters because Google cuts off a description after a certain pixel length. By using 155 characters as a benchmark, you are basically assured your tag will come in that measure.
To be certain, use the free SERP Snippet Optimization Tool at SEOmofo.
Google also cuts off quotation marks, so don’t use them.
Accuracy Counts
Don’t anger your visitors by promising what you can’t deliver. For example, never use business opportunity meta tags that tell a reader everyone qualifies if there are financial limitations on the offer.
For every visitor who goes away unhappy, feeling like they’ve been fooled, you lose a network of his friends when he complains. It’s bad marketing.
Relevant and Useful
Don’t use a range of fluff words that sound like something that might entice your visitors. General words get ignored by serious searchers. The more specific you are in your . The more specific your description, the more likely you are to attract a potential customer. Don’t stuff your tag with keywords, but do include the relevant keyword that your prospect is using to search.
Give your meta tags high priority when you write content for your website. They give you a chance to sell your site to searchers. A well crafted meta description can result in convincing searchers you are worthy of a closer look.
