In addition to your title tags, you also want to create meta descriptions as they are another element that appears in the search results:

In this guide, we’ll show you everything you need to know!

What Is A Meta Description?

A meta description is a piece of HTML on your webpage that allows you to describe your page.

This snippet appears below the title tag in the search results and is a great chance to include your keywords and increase your click-through rates.

You can edit your meta description in the HTML code of your site or by using a plugin like Yoast with WordPress.

What Is The Optimal Length For A Meta Description?

The optimal length for a meta description is between 100-150 characters. Google often cuts off meta descriptions that go much beyond the 150 character limit.

The meta description should be long enough to describe the page, but short enough to be easy to read.

How To Write Perfect Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions may not directly affect rankings as much as other factors, but optimizing them for SEO you can often get a higher click-through rate.

Here’s what you’ll want to consider when writing:

Write Compelling Copy

Because the title tag and meta description both show up in search results, think about writing them like an ad. The Title tag is like the headline, and the meta description is the subhead.

Use compelling copy to entice the reader to click the result. Show them what they will get when clicking on your search result and why they should click.

Use Your Target & Secondary Keywords

Include your target keyword somewhere in the meta description, and also include other secondary keywords.

Google will often highlight / bold keywords in your meta description when users search, so using common key phrases here.

Meta Description Examples

Here are a few meta description examples from highly-ranking search results.

Example: Cheap Flights

In this example, kayak.com used keywords that are commonly searched when looking for flights including brand names. They also mentioned starting prices to give the searcher a reason to click the search result.

Example: Email Marketing Guide

In this example, campaignmonitor.com describes what benefits the user will receive and also includes their target keywords.

Example: How To Ride A Bike

In this example, wiki how asks the users questions to confirm their situation and includes their target keywords.

How To Edit Your Meta Tags In WordPress

You can add meta descriptions the same way you add title tags.

There’s another box for that in the Yoast plugin: