Google does a lot to help businesses improve their search engine rankings. One of the things it does is include short snippets of information under your search results. Those snippets are called meta tags and they’re a powerful SEO tool. What you put in those little blurbs can make a big difference in whether or not your link is the one potential customers choose to click.
If you don’t customize that little snippet, Google will populate it for you. If you do customize it, you can add SEO rich, persuasive content to your meta tags that compel the above-mentioned click. Here’s a few easy-to-implement tips to help you get started.
- Write in an active versus passive voice that exudes authority and offers a clear solution to whatever your viewer is searching for. Make them feel like they’ll find the answer they need by clicking your link.
- Stick to the right number of characters. 155 characters (including spaces and punctuation) is ideal. Search engines will cut off everything after that which can risk critical info being lost to the viewer.
- Pay attention to grammar and spelling. If your meta tags are rife with errors, you risk turning viewers away from visiting your website.
- Include a call to action that prompts readers to click that link just as you’d include one at the bottom of a sales page.
- Use your meta tag to tell browsers – the people, not the web tool – what information they’ll find on your page.
I’m a huge fan of A/B testing of meta tags. Go ahead and try out different variations until you hit on just the right combination of character count, call to action, and compellingly clickable information. The main goal of meta tags is to persuade browsers to click your link and view your content. Use content marketing and meta tags to your advantage to boost search engine rankings, drive traffic to your website, and increase sales of your products and services.