In a recent post, I looked at a few examples of meta descriptions from actual Google SERPs. Writing effective meta descriptions is tricky and challenging, especially since you have a very limited number of characters to work with -- Google display about 150 characters when I checked this morning. Here are ways to make your meta descriptinons stand out in the crowd.
1. Be descriptive. "ten minute response time" is stronger than "fast response time".
2. Use complete keywords phrases. "corrugated boxes" is better than "boxes".
3. Avoid sales hype. Searchers want information and facts. Don't overstate or over promise.
4. Focus on benefits. Still, searchers want to know what's in it for them. Meta descriptions are a good place to highlight guarantees, warranties, money back guarantees, percentages of savings, labor savings, convenience, no hassles, easy ordering, close outs, sale prices, simpler, faster, easier, safer, etc.
5. Describe your target audience if it is a niche. If you've got a supermarket and you are after every person who eats food, no sense in mentioning that in the meta description. However, if your supermarket caters to vegetarians or people with food allergies, by all means do mention it. For these folks, those phrases will stand out like neon signs.
6. Mention geography if relevant. The most common search term for business is service plus location. I think it makes a lot of sense to mention your target geography (if you have one) because it reinforces the idea that your business is local, and that you focus on your local market. "Chicago's first ...", "Chicago's highest rated ...", "proudly serving Chicago ..." are appealing.
7. Establish credibility. We are all afraid of the unknown. Searchers are skeptical enough when they physically walk into a store for the first time - how are they going to feel when they see your meta description for the first time? "founded in 1960 ...", "designing web sites since 1992 ...", ...BBB approved ...", "bonded and insured ...", "supplier to IBM since 1990 ...", are phrases that establish your credibility as a legitimate, stable, reliable, going concern. Again, supportable facts trump vague sales speak.
Can you do all this in 150 characters? Probably not, but depending on your business, one or two of these points will most likely be far more important than the others. See what your competitors are doing. If they are all highlighting the same thing - say, geography - perhaps you should stress credibility in order to stand out.
The good news is, meta descriptions aren't written in stone. You can always experiment by changing meta descriptions and look for changes in your site traffic.
