An effective online marketing campaign consists of many small parts working together. Each one has a role that contributes to the overall success of your business. The headline and description are two aspects of your search engine optimization strategy that may attract, hook, and convert potential visitors that read them. It takes some creativity and know-how to write fascinating copy that delivers results.
Writers from an SEO company in Denver cite the following ways to improve your headlines and meta descriptions.
Headline Writing
“On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent 80 cents out of your dollar.” – David Ogilvy
David Ogilvy wasn’t exaggerating when he said the statement above. Writing an attention-grabbing headline is already more than half the battle because you got a reader to click and read more.
When you write a headline, consider the following:
1. Includes and sometimes starts with the keyword
2. Contains information and some details
3. Short and sweet, preferably five words
4. Meets the expectations of readers
5. Gives enough details without having to click and read more
With these pointers in mind, create a headline that immediately engages your potential customers. Have them in your thought process before anything else. Match the content with what you wrote to convert visitors at a high rate. Use action words that lead a reader into clicking and consuming your content.
The Ideal Descriptions
Other than the headline, writing copy for descriptions is equally essential. This chunk of text is the next thing a potential customer reads before deciding to click or look elsewhere.
When you write this, consider the following:
1. Approximately 155 characters are the sweet spot, but it will all depend on the message and proposition you want to send. Write enough for clarity about your brand and what you do, but concise enough to convince a reader.
2. Use the active voice and action words. Consider the meta description like an invitation; you want a reader to click on your link and buy your products or services. Be descriptive and lead a potential customer into doing something you want.
3. Include the keyword in the body. You want the description to be reader-friendly, but also search engine-friendly. Google will index the search term you used and in some cases, highlight it in the SERP.
4. A call-to-action (CTA) is necessary when writing meta descriptions. Describing your value proposition and product is good, but without a CTA, your potential visitor may not click. You want to be as clear as possible on what action you want a reader to take.
5. Be as detailed and specific as possible. If you need to mention specifications for a particular product, do so. You need to set the expectations of a reader to lure them in and convince them to click. Some can see through the fluff and want to get details when they read the meta description.
Google puts a premium on quality headlines and descriptions. Make these count because they attract potential customers and improve your ranking. Find a balance between writing for an audience and search engines.
