Hey Hackers! As someone who has been writing for years, it can sometimes appear that making it on the first few pages of Google is just a random game of chance. But there are things you can do to increase those chances. Today, we’ll talk about the importance of the meta description and how it can take you to the top of Google. What Is the Meta Description? The meta description is exactly what it sounds like: it describes what your article is about and what readers can expect from it. You can find the meta description box in the story settings. Why Is the Meta Description Important? The reason it’s so important is that Google will analyze your meta description and determine how relevant it is to the keywords. For example, if you write an article about the newest iOS update, and your meta description has zero mention of iOS, iPhone, Apple, or any relevant keywords, Google won’t prioritize it and won’t push it. That’s why it’s essential to capitalize on meta descriptions and make the most out of them. And if you need help writing them, we got you covered. Also need help with story tags? Check out our previous article to learn how to up your tag game. How to Write Meta Descriptions Writing meta descriptions can appear simple, but it takes a little finesse. If you go to the meta description box and just start spamming keywords, that won’t get you anywhere. This is an example of a bad meta description: “ios new update apple new update iphone update new iPhone update apple updates apple news” Now, there’s a slim chance that this can work out in your favor, but it’s not likely. You’ll increase your chances of a better ranking on Google by thinking out your description, and not just trying to take the easy route. This is an example of a good meta description: The new iOS 20.5 update introduced new features such as updated security protocols and new emojis. Here's every single feature of the new iOS update explained. Notice how we have “iOS 20.5 update” and “new iOS update” in the meta description. These are keywords that we’re targeting, and putting them in the meta description will hopefully give us a leg up against other articles talking about the same thing. And that’s it! We now have a good meta description that we can be proud of. To recap, here are the important points you need to remember: The meta description can’t just be buzzword after buzzword; they have to be clear and concise sentences.
Try to add 2 keywords to your meta description (It’s also important to add these words into your title and throughout your article).
The meta description can only be 160 characters, so don’t add unnecessary words. With these tips, and with your talent, we know your articles will shoot up in the Google stratosphere. Put your newly acquired skills to use! Use this template to let us know what everyone should know. It could be about the latest Apple update, useful coding tips, or things going on in the world around us. But wait. There’s More! Did you know HackerNoon is always running writing contests where the winning writers can earn money?? Here are the 5 we currently have going on: The #blockchain-api Writing Contest by dRPC ($1,000 in total prizes)
The #bitcoin Writing Contest by Rootstock ($17,500 in total prizes)
The Opt-Out Writing Contest by Āut Labs (9,000 USDT in total prizes)
The #crypto-api Writing Contest by CoinGecko ($1,000 in total prizes)
The #decentralize-ai Writing Contest by ICP ($1,000 in total prizes)
The #ethereum Writing Contest by DeGate ($1,000 in total prizes) See you next time! Hey Hackers! As someone who has been writing for years, it can sometimes appear that making it on the first few pages of Google is just a random game of chance. But there are things you can do to increase those chances. Today, we’ll talk about the importance of the meta description and how it can take you to the top of Google. meta description What Is the Meta Description? The meta description is exactly what it sounds like: it describes what your article is about and what readers can expect from it. You can find the meta description box in the story settings. Why Is the Meta Description Important? The reason it’s so important is that Google will analyze your meta description and determine how relevant it is to the keywords. For example, if you write an article about the newest iOS update, and your meta description has zero mention of iOS, iPhone, Apple, or any relevant keywords, Google won’t prioritize it and won’t push it. That’s why it’s essential to capitalize on meta descriptions and make the most out of them. And if you need help writing them, we got you covered. Also need help with story tags? Check out our previous article to learn how to up your tag game. Also need help with story tags? Check out our previous article to learn how to up your tag game. article How to Write Meta Descriptions Writing meta descriptions can appear simple, but it takes a little finesse. If you go to the meta description box and just start spamming keywords, that won’t get you anywhere. This is an example of a bad meta description: “ios new update apple new update iphone update new iPhone update apple updates apple news” “ios new update apple new update iphone update new iPhone update apple updates apple news” Now, there’s a slim chance that this can work out in your favor, but it’s not likely. You’ll increase your chances of a better ranking on Google by thinking out your description, and not just trying to take the easy route. This is an example of a good meta description: The new iOS 20.5 update introduced new features such as updated security protocols and new emojis. Here's every single feature of the new iOS update explained. The new iOS 20.5 update introduced new features such as updated security protocols and new emojis. Here's every single feature of the new iOS update explained. Notice how we have “iOS 20.5 update” and “new iOS update” in the meta description. These are keywords that we’re targeting, and putting them in the meta description will hopefully give us a leg up against other articles talking about the same thing. And that’s it! We now have a good meta description that we can be proud of. To recap, here are the important points you need to remember: To recap, here are the important points you need to remember: The meta description can’t just be buzzword after buzzword; they have to be clear and concise sentences. Try to add 2 keywords to your meta description (It’s also important to add these words into your title and throughout your article). The meta description can only be 160 characters, so don’t add unnecessary words. The meta description can’t just be buzzword after buzzword; they have to be clear and concise sentences. Try to add 2 keywords to your meta description (It’s also important to add these words into your title and throughout your article). The meta description can only be 160 characters, so don’t add unnecessary words. With these tips, and with your talent, we know your articles will shoot up in the Google stratosphere. Put your newly acquired skills to use! Use this template to let us know what everyone should know. It could be about the latest Apple update, useful coding tips, or things going on in the world around us. Put your newly acquired skills to use! Use this template to let us know what everyone should know . It could be about the latest Apple update, useful coding tips, or things going on in the world around us. everyone should know But wait. There’s More! Did you know HackerNoon is always running writing contests where the winning writers can earn money?? Here are the 5 we currently have going on: writing contests The #blockchain-api Writing Contest by dRPC ($1,000 in total prizes) The #bitcoin Writing Contest by Rootstock ($17,500 in total prizes) The Opt-Out Writing Contest by Āut Labs (9,000 USDT in total prizes) The #crypto-api Writing Contest by CoinGecko ($1,000 in total prizes) The #decentralize-ai Writing Contest by ICP ($1,000 in total prizes) The #ethereum Writing Contest by DeGate ($1,000 in total prizes) The #blockchain-api Writing Contest by dRPC ($1,000 in total prizes) The #blockchain-api Writing Contest by dRPC The #blockchain-api Writing Contest by dRPC The #bitcoin Writing Contest by Rootstock ($17,500 in total prizes) The #bitcoin Writing Contest by Rootstock The #bitcoin Writing Contest by Rootstock The Opt-Out Writing Contest by Āut Labs (9,000 USDT in total prizes) The Opt-Out Writing Contest by Āut Labs The Opt-Out Writing Contest by Āut Labs The #crypto-api Writing Contest by CoinGecko ($1,000 in total prizes) The #crypto-api Writing Contest by CoinGecko The #crypto-api #crypto-api Writing Contest by CoinGecko The #decentralize-ai Writing Contest by ICP ($1,000 in total prizes) The #decentralize-ai Writing Contest by ICP The #ethereum Writing Contest by DeGate ($1,000 in total prizes) The #ethereum Writing Contest by DeGate See you next time!

Walkthroughs, tutorials, guides, and tips. This story will teach you how to do something new or how to do something better.

Now That the Dust Has Settled, Is 'Deadpool and Wolverine' Actually Good?

The X-Men Movies in Order: How to Watch Them By Release Date

Get on Google's Front Page with Effective Meta Descriptions: Insider Tips from HackerNoon Editors

About Author

Comments

TOPICS

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN

Related Stories

10 Best Game Boy Color Games Ranked by Sales

The Noonification: Crunch the Lottery Numbers (10/2/2023)

Actionable Advice

Backlink Limits

Banklink Quality and Diversity

Formatting is Broken

10 Best Game Boy Color Games Ranked by Sales

The Noonification: Crunch the Lottery Numbers (10/2/2023)

Actionable Advice

Backlink Limits

Banklink Quality and Diversity

Formatting is Broken

Light-Mode

Classic

Newspaper

Minty

Dark-Mode

Neon Noir

Minty

HN StartUps