What is a Meta Description?
En Meta Description (also called a page description) is a short description that elaborates and creates interest in the content of the page. It appears in Google search results under the blue page title:
A Meta Description does not directly affect your position on Google, but it does affect click rates, i.e. the percentage of users on Google who choose to click on your website rather than your competitors' websites. A page's Meta Description is not a visible part of your website itself, but is typically filled out in the page administration of your CMS system, where you also write the page content.
The Good Meta Description
A Meta Description should:
- be unique and reflect the content of the page
- be meaningful and appealing to the reader
- have a length of 120-160 characters including spaces
- contain the primary searchword 1-3 times (possibly in different inflections)
- have the main keyword as far left as possible
- include a secondary keyword 1-2 times
- include promotional words such as buy, order, get or book where possible.
Please note that Google does not always display your Meta Description. If Google can find text from your page that better matches the user's search query, Google will display that text instead of your Meta Description. Usually this is positive because it results in more clicks to your page.
It is important for your SEO work that the Meta Description of the page is not a list of keywords, but an appealing and easy to understand text that makes the user want to click on your website. A good position on Google is worth nothing if users don't click on it. Examples of good Meta Descriptions:
- Large selection of sofas at the best prices on the market. Buy Danish designed sofas in leather and fabric here. Free delivery. 30 days return policy. Interest-free instalment.
- Learn SEO from leading Danish SEO specialists. Here are our best tips and tricks for working professionally with search engine optimisation (SEO).
You can get inspiration for your Meta Descriptions by doing a google search for the topic you are writing about.
