Nov/090
How to Optimize Meta Titles and Descriptions
Here is a quick SEO technique to help search engines and readers cut to the chase when categorizing your content. Just like when you get in an elevator and expect to see an indicator of where you are to “validate” that you are on the right floor when you get out, relevant titles and / or meta descriptions act as indicators to visitors to convey that you are in fact in the appropriate destination.
Jill is Shopping for Purses; Can She Find or Distinguish Your Content?
Distinguishing each page as a unique destination is important for both human users and more importantly search engines. It is typical from the perspective of an SEO who spends a large percentage of time analyzing on page factors for multiple pages, to find layers of duplicity in a website. As a result, this creates a nullifying effect that counteracts prominence and has the tendency to diffuse relevance and produce supplemental results in search engines.
Put yourself in the shoes of a search engine spider if you discovered a page with lackluster links and a meta title that was copied across multiple pages in a website. Then, upon digging deeper into the site, the page was replete with code bloat (nested tables, similar elements and no real copy to separate it from other pages) what would you do? Would you score it higher up as a unique page that should rank specifically for something?
I would hardly think so, if the webmaster didn’t take the time to (a) create enough content to create context among the keywords, modifiers and synonyms that if scrutinized from the perspective of natural language processing and (b) failed to define what THAT page was about, then just consider it defunct and obsolete, since that is what spiders will often do.
One of the most common mistakes is (1) not having enough content on a page to distinguish it from other pages and (2) lack of a unique meta title and meta description. Although we are talking about basic principles for SEO, refining the on page focus of a page is not only good for Search Engine Optimization, but also good for setting the stage for conversion.
Both of the aliments are easily remedied, by applying two fundamental changes (1) adding more unique content on the subject and (2) revising the title and meta description to act as a beacon of relevance. However, first, you may wish to apply a few guidelines to keep things consistent (more on that formulae below).
The title tag is the most prominent signal you can send to help search engines (and humans) predicate intent on what to expect, “IF” they click your search result “IF” that page is ranking for a possible keyword combination. The meta description “although not always used as the preferred snippet” also acts as your consolidated sales pitch to either entice readers to click through and investigate your value proposition or ignore your result and visit a competing website.
To omit using either of these primary signals, in tandem with content topically aligned to the subject matter is a rookie move and should be avoided at all costs. Here is a simple formula you can use for titles and meta descriptions to keep pages on topic and themed based on the subject matter.
This is a basic example of an optimized title tag for a White Leather Gucci Clutch Purse which also reinforces an alternate message / modifier around wholesale and affordable prices.
The title: [main keyword and / or classification] – [modifier and / or modifiers], Alternate Synonym or plural variation – website.com
The Description: Website.com offers [main keyword], Modifier, Synonym and Plural Keyword Variation | use [GEO Modifier, if Applicable].
For example, if we use an ecommerce product, then it may read something like this.
White Leather Gucci Clutch Purse Model # 27-D42 – Designer Wholesale Purses at Website.com
Website.com offers Wholesale White Leather Designer Gucci Clutch Purses at Affordable Prices. Add optional (*price, shipping options or GEO Modifiers) i.e. $79.99, in stock, ships from NYC.
This one title and meta tag alone can work in tandem with the pages on page content and off page internal links to rank for Affordable Wholesale Purses, Designer Gucci Purses, White Leather Clutch, Wholesale Designer Purses, Affordable Designer Clutch Purse, Gucci Leather Purse or any instance of the title or meta tag in a search query (*even price if added).
Especially if (a) the on page thresholds are aligned H1 tag that matches Primary Keyword (b) more than 200 words on the page (about the topic) (c) the page has sufficient internal links from other areas of the site and (d) enough deep links from other sites.
The variation in what the page ranks for depends on component (c and d), yet without a relevant title to act as the catch all, those signals may not be as prominent for a search engine to determine.
There are dozens of possible formulas for reinforcing relevance with titles and meta descriptions, this was one simple example we thought we would share. Depending on your industry and whether or not you are trying to rank for exact match or broad match or long-tail variations determines which approach or tactic you should employ.
