Meta, by definition, is the data that is read by the web browser before it displays the page’s contents. In essence, it is a basic abstract of what the page is about, the language that the page is written in, and other background data that might be important to some users. All of this is hidden from normal view and is only visible when viewing the source code for the web page. It is a very important part of a web page, even if you do not see it.
All of the meta components are marked by meta tags in the header of the web page. One of the components of the meta data is the meta description. For SEO copywriting, there is a tremendous amount of value in writing meta descriptions. Take a step back and think about how a search results page is laid out. When you enter a search query in the search engine, it lists all of the results in the main body of the page. There are typically ten results per page, which is then surround by some ads in the header, footer, and rail. The results that are in the body of the page are called the natural listings or free listings.
The structure of the natural or free listings is quite simple. It includes the title of the page, the description of the page, and the URL of the page. Now the description of the page is typically just grabbed as a snapshot of the content from the landing page. This description can be manipulated though. If there is content in the meta description, then the search engine will display that meta content rather than just some random snippets from the page.
Value of a Meta Description
The true value here is that search marketers can take SEO website copy and write their own custom tailored message to display on the search results page. This not only helps to make it stand out (keywords are always bolded in the search results), but it can also serve to give the searcher a better idea of what the page is all about before they even click on the link. What’s even better is that you can spark a conversation with the browser before they even reach your page.
Using meta descriptions also helps in improving your rank in the search engines. If the meta description better matches the search query then chances are the page will rank higher in the search results. Expert search marketers like Red Apple can actually determine specific search queries that a searcher would most likely enter and then incorporate that exact search query into the meta description, which will no doubt help to propel your web page to the top of the search results.
Website design should be more than just having a nice looking website. If you have a great looking website but no one can find it, then what’s the point? There are a lot of behind the scenes things that experienced search marketers can do to achieve higher rankings in the search engines. An experienced search marketer like Red Apple can make your website talk to the search engines. In turn, the search engines will rank your page higher, which will in turn drive more potentially paying customers to your web page.