Do you want more people to click on your link? You may feel you’ve written the best blog, but only a few people are reading it. You might need to look at your meta descriptions.
A meta description is vital to conveying your post's value to people searching for topics or products related to your post or site. If you have compelling meta descriptions, you can drive more traffic to your website.
Don't worry if meta descriptions are unfamiliar to you. Keep on reading to learn everything you need to know.
What is a meta description?
A meta description is an attribute tag that appears in the page’s source code that describes the page’s content. This snippet of text is also visible to the user and helps them get a glimpse of what the site or page contains when they find it on a search engine result page (SERP). It’s the text that shows up below the clickable headline.
Is there a meta description character limit?
Since a meta description is only a glimpse of what your page offers, it should only have 120-158 characters. That's why you should have the most intriguing and interesting information in the first 120 characters of your meta description. Doing this well will increase the likelihood that someone will click-through to your site.
Are there meta description character limit checker tools?
Yes, there are many meta description character limit checkers you can find online. Some are even available for free.
Using these tools helps you make an SEO-friendly, simple, and short meta description. SEO refers to search engine optimization, helping your site rank higher on SERPs. The higher your site ranks on SERPs, the more chances you have of users visiting your website.
How many characters in Google are allowed for a meta description?
As for Google, you can use 920 pixels as the maximum length. This allows 158 characters, unlike mobile devices with 680 pixels or 120 characters max limit.
Although that's a maximum limit, you should not make your meta descriptions too short either! It's best to keep your meta description at least 430 pixels or 70 characters. That way, Google will not automatically produce its own description about your page or post.
How do I add a meta description in WordPress?
When you're using WordPress, you can take the following steps to add your meta description:
- From your WordPress admin dashboard, go to "Posts>>Categories."
- Then, click on the "Edit" link of the category you want to add a meta description.
- Next, scroll down to the "AIOSEO Settings" to enter your meta description.
- Lastly, save on the changes you made to make sure the meta description will appear on SERPs. Or check the Snippet Preview under the "AIOSEO Settings" to verify.
How do I add a meta description in Shopify?
Similar to WordPress, adding a meta description in Shopify is also easy. You can follow the steps below:
- For collections, go to "Products > Collections," then click on a collection you want. For all products, you can click on the "Products." If it's for general pages, click on the "Online Store > Pages."
- You'll find "Edit website SEO" for products and collections. Click it to enter the meta description. For general pages, select the page you want to enter your meta description.
- Then, verify if the meta description is updated by viewing the collections or web page's source code.
How do I add a meta description in Squarespace?
For Squarespace, you can add meta description by doing the following:
- Open the "Pages" in the "Home Menu."
- Click the page settings.
- You can find the "Page Description" field where you can enter your meta description.
- Don't forget to click save.
How do I add a meta description in Wix?
If your website builder is Wix, you can add meta description through these steps:
- Go to the editor of your web page to find the “Menus and Pages.”
- Go to the "Show More" icon.
- Then, click the "SEO (Google)."
- You can find "What's the page about?" where you can enter the meta description.
- Lastly, click "Publish" to save it.
How do I add a meta description in Magento?
For Magento Content Pages, you can add meta descriptions by following these steps:
- Click “CMS > Pages.”
- Click "Meta Data" on the selected page.
- Enter your meta description and save it by clicking "Save Page."
Should I use a meta description generator tool?
Although the meta description generator tool seems promising because it can make your meta tag easily, it's still best to create your own meta description. That way, you ensure to highlight the real value of your page.
Your target audience will probably be able to tell if it comes personally from you or is generated by a tool. Let your audience feel valued by personally making your own meta description.