{"id":112247,"date":"2017-06-13T17:34:46","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T09:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seo-hacker.com\/?p=12247"},"modified":"2023-08-08T16:01:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T08:01:34","slug":"google-meta-descriptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seo-hacker.com\/google-meta-descriptions\/","title":{"rendered":"REVEALED: How Google Unexpectedly Uses Your Meta Descriptions"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"How<\/a><\/p>\n

Google is the number one authority when it comes to everything Search Engine Optimization – which makes sense because they make the rules<\/strong>. Because of their role in the community, it is a rare occurrence for Google to straight-up talk about how their search engine works – and that’s exactly what they did recently<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Some time ago, Google used DMOZ to replace spammy, low-quality, and off-topic meta descriptions. Since DMOZ closed down, Google encourages webmasters to create their own page\u2019s high-quality meta descriptions. Similarly, Google is doing their part in the overall improvement of meta descriptions by updating the way they render these snippets. <\/span><\/p>\n

Google <\/a>values meta descriptions precisely because it helps their users know which web page is the one that they are looking for every time they make a search query. This snippet or meta description also helps YOUR potential visitors to know if your website is the right one for them; the snippet serves as their appetizer before entering your website, and if the appetizer is bad, then you have lost a potential visitor. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\"PerfectMetaDesc-1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Meta Descriptions and How Google Interacts with Them<\/b><\/h2>\n

Meta descriptions are the short snippets you see under the title of a search result. Basically, meta descriptions can be likened to the preface, synopsis, or the prologue of a book which people read to find out if they would like the book (web page) or not. <\/span><\/p>\n

So, the more descriptive a meta description is, the higher your chances for people to click on your web page, and be satisfied with the contents that they see. Historically, meta descriptions were taken from three sources:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. The content of the web page<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. The provided meta description<\/li>\n
  3. DMOZ listings<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The content of the web page is often the best source of the meta description; the part that is extracted is usually the most relevant, and it greatly helps the user know what they will see on your page<\/a>. However, there are instances wherein the content of a page is not the best source for the meta description. Some pages only have images or links that describe the nature of the website or where people can go to if they want detailed information; which does not have any textual content whatsoever. Naturally, no meta description could be gathered on this page, so what is the next best thing? The meta description that was provided by the webmaster.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Meta descriptions should be short sentences that accurately describes the content of the web page. They are often provided by the webmasters, however, there are times wherein it is missing, irrelevant and low-quality. So, what does Google do when this happens? They turn to the DMOZ listings.<\/span><\/p>\n

    For over a decade, Google relied on the DMOZ listings to provide them with high-quality meta descriptions. DMOZ has established their name through their production of meta descriptions that are even better than the ones that the webmasters provided and was more descriptive than the ones found in the content. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Now that DMOZ has closed, Google has encouraged the webmasters to produce quality meta descriptions or if producing meta descriptions is too hard, they can add more meaningful content to their pages.<\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"PerfectMetaDesc-2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    What You Need to Know About Meta Descriptions<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Since we\u2019re done talking about the sources of meta descriptions and how Google interacts with a webmaster\u2019s meta descriptions, it\u2019s time to get into the details.<\/p>\n