MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN WRITING YOUR META DESCRIPTION

With the everchanging SEO landscape, you might wonder if meta descriptions still matter to the traffic you bring onto your site. The simple answer is yes, but the reasons behind it might not be the same as before. While the search engines might not pay as much attention to your meta description as previously, they still play an essential role in establishing authority, attracting eyeballs, and engaging with the target audience. So today, we've compiled four common meta description mistakes you should avoid.

1. Too long meta description

One of the most common mistakes people make when creating meta descriptions is packing too much information into it. You might want to explain to your target audience why they should click your link, but bear in mind the limited space for metadata. As the leading search engine, Google has set the golden rule to 160 characters for desktop and 120 for mobile users. A good rule of thumb here is to optimize for mobile users as handheld devices count for 70% of potential traffic.

2. Click-bait descriptions

While attractive descriptions can bring people onto your page, the bounce rate skyrocket when people don't find what they expected. Increased bounce rate is interpreted by Google as a bad fit for the search term and will push you further down the list. This is why click-bait might help boost your site short-term, but it will, without doubt, hurt your long-term success.

3. Too short meta descriptions

While too long meta descriptions can be hurtful, the same goes for too short. While search engines don't count metadata as much as before, they still consider it. Offering up a short or non-existing meta description can flag your site as lacking substance and mark it as low quality. This is why meta descriptions still matter, and you should utilize those 160 characters to promote your content in an efficient but detailed way.