Create a compelling meta description

Create a compelling meta description

Estimated time to execute: 20 to 25 minutes

Aim: This process aims to create a compelling meta description that influences the user’s decision to click through to your website from the search results.

Optimal Outcome: The main outcome of this process is a well-crafted meta description that can entice users to visit your website.

What do you need to start: You must have a Shopify account to begin this procedure.

Why is this SOP Important: A compelling meta description is important for Shopify because it can help improve the click-through rate (CTR) of product pages, collections, and other content on the Shopify store. When a user searches for a product or service on a search engine, the meta description is often the first point of contact they have with a particular web page.

When and Where to execute: Compelling meta descriptions should be created for each web page, including product pages, collection pages, and blog posts, on an ongoing basis. Compelling meta descriptions should be an ongoing process for your website. By regularly optimizing and updating your meta descriptions, you can improve your website’s click-through rate and potentially increase traffic and sales.

Who Should Be Doing This: The responsibility of creating compelling meta descriptions typically falls on the website owner or their team, which can include content creators, copywriters, and SEO specialists. If you are the owner of a Shopify store, it’s important to ensure that your website’s meta descriptions are well-crafted and optimized for search engines

What is Meta Description?

A meta description is an HTML attribute that provides a summary of a webpage’s content. It appears underneath the title tag in search engine results pages (SERPs) and is typically limited to 155-160 characters in length.

The purpose of a meta description is to give users a quick overview of what they can expect to find on a webpage if they click through the search results. It should be an accurate reflection of the content on the webpage and provide a compelling reason for users to visit the webpage.

While meta descriptions do not directly impact search engine rankings, they can indirectly influence click-through rates (CTR) from search engine results pages. If the meta description is well-crafted and relevant to the user’s search query, it can entice users to click through to the webpage and potentially improve the webpage’s CTR.

It’s important to note that meta descriptions should not be used to stuff keywords or misrepresent the content of the webpage. Doing so can lead to penalties from search engines and a negative user experience for visitors to the website. Instead, meta descriptions should be well-crafted and accurately reflect the content of the webpage.

Execution

How to create a good meta description

Consider the Mindset

Considering the mindset of the audience is an important aspect of creating effective meta descriptions. Your meta description should be written with your target audience in mind and address their specific needs and interests.

To understand the mindset of your audience, consider their search intent and the context in which they are searching. For example, if you’re selling running shoes on your Shopify store, your target audience may be searching for “best running shoes for beginners” or “affordable running shoes.”

When crafting your meta description, use language that speaks directly to your audience and addresses their specific needs or pain points. Use keywords and phrases that are relevant to their search queries and highlight the unique selling points of your product or service. For example, you might highlight the comfort and durability of your running shoes or emphasize the affordable price point.

By considering the mindset of your audience and crafting a meta description that addresses their needs and interests, you can improve the relevance and click-through rate of your Shopify store in search engine results from pages.

Make it Unique

Creating a unique and compelling meta description is an important aspect of improving the visibility and click-through rate of your Shopify store in search engine results pages. Use language that is creative, engaging, and attention-grabbing. Use humor or a unique perspective to stand out from the competition. Include a clear call to action in your meta description, such as “Shop Now”, “Learn More”, or “Discover Our Collection”. This encourages users to click through to your page and act.

Keep it concise and at optimal length

Keep your meta description character count between 155 and 160. Google will very certainly erase any more text. Put the most important text—action verbs or a few paragraphs describing your firm, like Fashion Nova does below—at the top of your description. 

Make it actionable.

Consider meta descriptions as the doormat of your online store. Be careful to provide a description that is concise, intriguing, and practical. Describe what readers may anticipate from your page.

While it may be tempting to write “awesome” or “showstopping,” doing so may discourage searchers from going through. Instead, try to refrain from using too many adjectives or fancy phrases. If you do employ innovative copy, be sure it is pertinent.

A nice illustration of this is the description from Bonobos below. It is brief, inspiring, and immediately addresses the reader. Clicking through ensures you’ll locate a fantastic pair of dress pants.

Add a call to action.

People will be persuaded to go through to your page if there is a call to action in your meta description. They aid readers in understanding what you have to offer and what to anticipate after they click. Pay attention to the various reasons why customers may be searching for e-commerce stores.

Many category sites will rank for a more general search phrase, such as “women’s shoes,” as you’ll see. As opposed to product sites, where people make purchases, people explore category pages. Your call to action should reflect their aims.

Examples of calls to action for e-commerce include:

• Buy now
• Explore the collection. 
• Identify fresh trends
• View our offerings.

Use the target keyword.

Find a technique to incorporate your desired term to improve your page’s ranking with search engines. Make certain that it has a human voice. Injecting all of your target keywords into a meta description like “Buy Women’s Shoes, Women’s Tennis Shoes, and Women’s Shoes on Sale here!” is an example of this and is unflattering to your brand since it comes out as robotic and forced.

Instead, organically include the term in your description, like in the following Shoe Carnival example:

Conclusion

You’re done! Always remember that by crafting a unique and compelling meta description, you can improve the visibility and click-through rate of your Shopify store in search engine results pages, ultimately driving more traffic and sales to your store.

Here are some tips to make your meta descriptions unique and compelling:

• Be specific and relevant.
• Highlight the benefits.
• Use action-oriented language.
• Be creative and engaging.
• Include a call to action.
• Use keywords strategically.