In the ever-evolving landscape of SEO, we’ve gathered insights from six Digital Marketers and Marketing Directors to uncover the key differences in crafting meta descriptions now versus five years ago. From emphasizing user intent and semantic search to prioritizing intent alignment and user satisfaction, discover the pivotal changes these experts highlight for 2024.
- Emphasize User Intent and Semantic Search
- Avoid Clickbait, Ensure Transparency
- Address User Needs and Voice Search
- Match Meta Descriptions with Rich Snippets
- Adapt to Changes in Meta Description Length
- Prioritize Intent Alignment and User Satisfaction
Emphasize User Intent and Semantic Search
One key difference in how content writers approach meta descriptions in 2024 compared to 2019 is the increased emphasis on user intent and semantic search. Previously, I would focus primarily on keyword stuffing to boost SEO.
However, now I prioritize crafting meta descriptions that address the searcher’s intent more directly and contextually, aligning closely with Google’s advancements in understanding natural language.
For instance, when writing for a client’s e-commerce site recently, I shifted from simply listing product features to describing how the product solved a common problem, thereby aligning more effectively with potential search queries and improving click-through rates.
Abdullah Prem, Digital Marketer, Bloggersneed
Avoid Clickbait, Ensure Transparency
While it may sound strange, marketers/writers now (thankfully) don’t use clickbait descriptions as much.
Now, a lot of people can tell the difference between a post and an ad. Yes, it sounds weird, but people who don’t use these platforms often can get caught off guard by such ads.
Moreover, strict policies are now in place, so we can’t just guarantee a result for a product or service, making ads a little more transparent.
Rahul Vij, Co-Founder, WebSpero Solutions
Address User Needs and Voice Search
The major difference between meta descriptions in 2024 and five years ago is user intent. Earlier, digital writing was more about stuffing keywords for better SEO ranking. Today, descriptions answer users directly, which piques their interest and encourages them to visit the website.
Rather than a generic meta description full of keywords, we now write something that addresses the user’s needs or questions. If one searches for “best vegan recipes,” today’s meta description may read, “Find out some easy and delicious vegan recipes that beginners will enjoy most. Get tips and tricks on tasty plant-based meals.”
We have also made changes to accommodate voice search trends. People tend to talk to their devices using conversational queries, so our meta descriptions now respond naturally in this same language. We strive to give quick answers instead of a series of keywords. Our meta descriptions are, therefore, more interesting and applicable to readers.
Fahad Khan, Digital Marketing Manager, Ubuy Nigeria
Match Meta Descriptions with Rich Snippets
At Resilient Stories, our approach to meta-descriptions has evolved significantly, especially with the rise of rich snippets and Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI). The days of stuffing your meta description with keywords are over. Now, it is a matter of matching user intent and using LSI.
We focus on creating meta descriptions that work seamlessly with rich snippets, providing a more comprehensive and appealing snapshot of our content directly on the search engine results page (SERP).
We ensure that our meta descriptions complement the rich snippets that appear alongside them.
Here’s how we do it:
We craft our meta-descriptions to draw attention to the most important aspects of our stories. To do this, we provide a brief yet compelling summary that aligns with the additional information presented in the rich snippets.
We maintain consistency between the meta description and the rich snippets. This means using clear and engaging language (including LSI) that accurately reflects the content.
For instance, if a rich snippet features certain words from the story, our meta description might include those same words. In addition, we would include relational words. For example, if your primary keyword is “cheeseburger,” LSI keywords might include “buns,” “ketchup,” “cheese,” “grilling,” “beef patty,” “fast food,” and “hamburger.”
Incorporating these related terms can help improve your content’s SEO by making it more comprehensive and contextually relevant.
By aligning our meta descriptions with information found in the rich snippets and using LSI keywords, we ensure our users get a cohesive and enticing preview of our content. This approach not only improves visibility and click-through rates but also enhances the user experience by providing a clear, informative, and appealing summary of what they can expect to find in our resilient stories.
Danielle Dahl, Co-Founder, Resilient Stories
Adapt to Changes in Meta Description Length
The length of meta summaries is one significant difference. The main issue is how long meta summaries are. They used to be shorter, but Google seemed to allow and even encourage them to be longer. Now, it looks like they want to go back to the original length.
Meta descriptions used to work best when they had between 155 and 160 characters. The exact amount depended on what search engines read when they crawled a site and what would be used for the search results snippet.
Search engines never showed more than 160 characters, so there was no point in writing more. Instead, everyone worked on being very clear and straightforward within that size to achieve the best on-page SEO results.
Precious Abacan, Marketing Director, Softlist
Prioritize Intent Alignment and User Satisfaction
The fundamental change in content writers’ approach to meta descriptions compared to five years ago is the focus on intent alignment and user satisfaction. In 2019, the main goal was cramming keywords to boost SEO. Fast forward to 2024, Google’s algorithm has evolved; it values the user’s experience more than ever.
Now, it’s not just about keywords but creating meta descriptions that match search intent and provide succinct answers. My team and I at BusinessMap, for instance, have restructured our approach to prioritize user relevance and satisfaction.
Earlier, we used to heavily lean on multiple mentions of the primary keyword. Today, we ensure our meta descriptions genuinely describe the content and also intrigue the reader, thereby reducing bounce rates and increasing dwell time.
Pavel Naydenov, Head of Marketing, Businessmap
