Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website

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good writing comes naturally to you, you have a lot of opportunity to make this tag stand

out. But if writing isn’t your strong suit, this tag gives you a little more room to make mis-

takes. Bring in a proofreader if you need to; this is a bad spot for an embarrassing typo.

Here are some pointers for writing a great meta description tag:

Keep it informative.

Think of the meta description tag as an “About Us” blurb, not a

“Buy Now!” advertisement. It’s your keyword-rich

elevator speech

(that’s a marketing

term for the description of yourself you might give in a 30-second elevator ride). It’s

not worth the upkeep to write this tag to promote special events or deals. And, just as

it’s probably not helpful to scream words like “WORLD’S BEST!” elsewhere in your

marketing message, the same holds true in your meta description tag.

Pair it with the page title.

While you can’t be sure exactly when or how people will

see your meta description tag, it’s a sure bet that when it is shown, it will be right

under your optimized page title. So, don’t repeat your title text in your description tag.

Include your keywords…

While the meta description tag may not be a huge factor in

influencing rank, it may have a big influence on the searcher who is lucky enough to

view it. So include your target keywords because they’ll be bolded in the search results.

Notice how the bolding catches your eye.

…but don’t overdo it!

Stuffing the meta description tag with a long keyword list isn’t

likely to help your ranks and will probably generate vast waves of indifference with

searchers. Why not use this tag to give the searcher a reason to come to your site

instead?

Make it Unique.

Like your HTML page title, your meta description tag should be

custom-written for each landing page to match its specific content.

Here’s some good news if you’re interested in saving time: The combination of

page title and meta description tag can be used as is, or with a little trimming or spin-

ning, for any directories that you submit your site to later. And, if you’re looking for a

keyword-rich tagline to add to the bottom of your page, your meta description tag can

be a great starting point.

Now:

Using your newly optimized page titles and your landing page content as a guide, write optimized

meta description tags for your landing pages in your Site Optimization Worksheet.

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