When people think of Canada, they often picture the landscape of British Columbia. There are rugged mountaintops in the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Its towering forests are home to over two-thirds of Canada’s animal populations.
But what would BC be without its capital city, Victoria?
It’s hard to sum up the beauty of Victoria in just a couple of sentences.
The Butchart Gardens, alone, are a sight to marvel at, renowned around the world as one of the top gardens to enjoy. If you’re a fan of architecture, take a stroll to the Inner Harbour to admire the Legislature Building, the Empress Hotel, and the Royal BC Museum. For the foodies out there, you’ll love all cuisines that Victoria has to offer. Feast on its signature dishes like fish and chips or Bannock bread.
That brings us back to our first question: how do you write a meta description about a place like this? SEO writing is a constant balancing act. On one hand, you’re writing to help search engines understand your content; on the other, you’re writing to help humans engage with and enjoy your content.
So, how do you write natural meta descriptions that are optimized for search engine algorithms?
Meta descriptions are what appear beneath your page title and website URL in search results. Writing high-converting descriptions takes a bit of know-how. There are a few key things that go into it:
Include your keywords.
In any industry, there are a few main keywords that you should be targeting.
These are phrases with high search volumes that potential customers are searching for. For an HVAC technician in Victoria, it might be furnace repair; for a dentist, it will look something like teeth cleaning in Victoria. You’ll have to do a bit of research to find which keywords your website should target.
Once you narrow it down, be sure to include those phrases in your meta description.
Google will bold the user’s search terms that appear in your meta description, which can increase your website’s CTR (click-through rate). That’s why writing your targeted keywords in your meta description can be so effective. But make sure not to overdo it, which brings us to our next point:
Don’t be spammy.
If including one keyword is a good thing, why not include all of them? Well, it won’t read very well, that’s for sure.
Remember who your readers are: humans. This means that if you stuff your meta description with keywords, they’ll notice.
In fact, they’ll take it as a sign that the rest of your content is also spammy, and they’ll probably scroll right past it.
Your meta description is an opportunity to entice readers to click your website. It will boost your CTR and can even net you more customers. Don’t waste it by trying to game the search engine—make sure you’re writing a description that catches the reader’s attention.
Avoid duplicates.
We get it: when you write the perfect meta description, it’s tempting to simply copy and paste it onto the next page. But Google doesn’t like duplicate content, and using it might negatively impact your rankings. Keep your meta descriptions as unique as Victoria’s Fan Tan Alley, known as the narrowest street in Canada.
Instead of spamming keywords, think of your meta description as a place to advertise. You’ll be remiss if you waste an opportunity to generate more clicks.
If your meta description is for a product page, write about why your product is the best. How will it benefit your readers, and why should they choose you? Writing meta descriptions for blog posts is a little different since you aren’t exactly selling something. Instead, you’re prompting the user to read your content. Write about the most interesting or engaging points in your blog post. Again, stress how the blog will help the reader in some way.
People want solutions to their problems. Tell them why your product, service, or content is the answer.
Sum it up.
It can be tough to be concise—sometimes, we have so much to say that it seems impossible to fit everything into 160 characters. But that’s the art of meta descriptions.
If you are struggling to write a summary of your page content, it could be a sign that it isn’t focused enough. Consider breaking it into two separate pages if that’s the case.
Try to keep your description between 50-160 characters. This gives it the best chance of showing up in search results without getting cut off.
Add a call to action.
Use the last few characters of your meta description to inspire readers to take action. Phrases like keep reading, learn more, and call us today can prompt a reader to take initiative.
Google has stated for years that meta descriptions are not a ranking factor. However, they can increase your CTR and boost your site traffic. Seal the deal with a prompt that encourages your readers to click.
Writing meta descriptions for your business in Victoria takes time and effort. It’s one thing to write them for a few pages, but what if your website has hundreds? In that case, you’ll need the help of an SEO agency.
Looking for SEO services in Victoria, BC? Give First Rank a call; we’ll help you optimize your website so that you rank higher in Google search results.
firstrank.ca
