This week we are talking about Search Engine Optimization and we could not have a good conversation without talking about the Meta Descriptions. It is important to understand that this blog is meant for people of all skills levels so, while this topic may seem complicated, it is important for everyone and is written that way.

What is a Meta Description

A Meta Description is a piece of code, written into your website, that provides a short description of what is on the specific web page that is shown. Meta Descriptions are not terribly important in the ranking of the page but are critically important in bringing visitors from the results page to your site. When looking at the results of an online search, each entry has a title, link and description. The description comes from your Meta Description code. In the image below, you will see the Google result for Boxless Media. Following our name and website, you will see a succinct statement of who we are and what we do.

How Do I Update My Meta Descriptions?

If you have a website that is built with WordPress or another CMS, this could be a very simple task. In WordPress, it is our recommendation that you download a plug-in called “SEO by Yoast” and install it on your site. Once installed, we encourage you to edit each of your pages and update the Meta Description box on the bottom of the page. Once again, this won’t help you rank better, it will just help bring people from Google to you.

If you used a tool or site to build your website, like Wix or Weebly, there are tools to help you. If you have a website that is coded in HTML or another web language, you are going to have to ask a web designer for help. However, do not neglect to do this. It makes no sense to build a website and disregard the steps that bring people to the site.

Finally, if you are currently building a website, it is important that you make sure that your web designer is paying attention to this detail. It makes sense to work with your designer to write a sensible description for each page as it is created.

Your website is the center of your online presence. All other digital marketing efforts should drive traffic to your site. Meta descriptions are a critical part of that. Boxless Media can help you with this. If you need help, please check out our SEO page or contact us for a free evaluation of your site.