Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing the quality and quantity of website traffic by increasing your site’s visibility within search engines (e.g. Google, Bing, and Yahoo).
SEO is a wide topic. It includes elements such as metadata, content, links, and more…
In this post, let’s examine one element – meta descriptions – and why they matter for B2B lead conversion.
What are meta descriptions?
Meta descriptions, also known as search descriptions, are a snippet of up to about 155 characters – a tag in HTML – that describe your page’s content. Search engines show the meta description below the page title in search results when the phrase is within the description.
Even if the keyword you use in the meta description doesn’t help in search rankings, it could help in getting a searcher’s attention.
For example, when searching for a keyword or phrase, it appears bolded in search results. One of ROOT3’s healthcare clients is an expert on executing bundled payments for ambulatory surgery centers. A niche but relevant topic for their audience and potential buyers.
Our client has published content and built a webpage dedicated to the subject, building their credibility and authority over time.
Here’s what happens when their target audience searches ASC bundled payment via Google – the words appear bolded making the words jump out on the screen and demonstrating why your top keyword phrase should be in your SEO title and meta description.
Be sure your meta description uses the keywords you are targeting and ensure it is written succinctly and in a way that encourages searchers to click on that result, driving them to your site and leading them toward conversion.
While it is challenging to succeed with SEO, it’s important to remember that because the benefits of SEO accrue over time, it’s one of the few strategies that become more effective over time.
High-quality content – blogs, white papers, news releases, case studies – are one of the most important factors for the success of your SEO strategy. Optimizing that content is essential.
If you’re a meta description master, congratulations. If you’d like to talk about your SEO strategy and how to make content and meta descriptions work for you, we’d love to connect.
