Search results snippets are among the most powerful marketing tools a webmaster can use. Like the prologue or back-cover copy for a book, they give a brief peek at what’s inside, allowing browsers to determine whether the site or book contains what they seek. The more evocative, descriptive and relevant the link, the better the chance a user who visits the site will be satisfied with what he finds.

For more than 10 years, Google and other search engines relied on descriptions from DMOZ (DMOZ.org), otherwise known as the Open Directory Project, to auto-generate snippets for sites when pages lacked text or meta descriptions were missing, irrelevant or spammy. DMOZ closed in March (although an archival mirror is here), so creating intriguing snippets for search engines now falls directly on the shoulders of webmasters. Good meta descriptions are now vital, especially for pages that lack significant textual content.

A meta description is a short blurb that accurately describes a page’s content in as few words as possible. Think of it as a sales pitch (without the snake oil); a “just the facts, ma’am,” presentation of what users will find on that page.

The search engine results pages will be nicer to your site — and consequently, your bottom line — if you keep a few things in mind as you create meta descriptions.

Make each page’s meta description unique. Google hates “boilerplate,” or standard copy that appears over and over across multiple pages, and simply won’t display it. Use site-level description on the homepage and other aggregate pages, and page-level descriptions everywhere else.

Include clearly tagged facts. Meta descriptions don’t have to be complete sentences. In fact, sometimes it’s best not to use complete sentences. For video pages, for example, try something like this: <meta name=“Description” content=“Director: John Q. Porn, Star: Sexy Starlet, Genre: Gonzo, Length: 5 min.”>

Use keywords responsibly. Use keywords in meta descriptions, but long strings of nothing except keywords — especially if those keywords are repetitive or not relevant to the content on the page — irritate Google. It’s always wise not to irritate Google, because Google simply will replace your carefully crafted meta description with a blank spot in the SERPs.

Make meta descriptions count. Meta descriptions aren’t seen on the page by end-users, so it’s tempting to let the quality slide. Don’t. Displayed in the SERPs, a high-quality meta description that’s truly representative of the page is one of the best ways to attract users to your site. On the other hand, misrepresenting page content in a meta description is a good way to encourage Google to bounce your site right to the bottom of the search results.

Image © Erhan Dayi.