Story Based Question
Imagine you’ve published an article about a major political event, such as an unexpected resignation of a government official. The headline grabs attention, but your analytics show a low click-through rate (CTR) from search engine results. Upon reviewing, you notice the meta description reads: “Details about the resignation of an official.” You realize it’s vague and doesn’t entice readers to click. Could a better meta description make a difference? Absolutely. Crafting compelling meta descriptions is a crucial part of News SEO.
Exact Answer
To write effective meta descriptions for news content, summarize the article in a concise, keyword-rich sentence, highlight the most compelling aspect of the story, and include a call-to-action when possible.
Explanation
Meta descriptions are your article’s elevator pitch. While they don’t directly affect rankings, they significantly impact click-through rates by helping users decide whether to click. For news articles, they must be engaging, specific, and relevant to the story.
Here are the best practices:
- Keep It Concise: Aim for 150-160 characters to avoid truncation in search results.
- Incorporate Keywords: Use terms that match the headline and align with what users might search for.
- Highlight Key Details: Focus on the most newsworthy aspect of the article. What will intrigue readers?
- Use Active Language: Make it dynamic and engaging. Avoid vague or generic wording.
- Include a Call-to-Action (Optional): Phrases like “Read more” or “Find out why” can encourage clicks.
Example
Returning to the political resignation story:
- Original Meta Description: “Details about the resignation of an official.”
- Optimized Meta Description: “Breaking: The Minister of Finance resigns amid corruption allegations. Read the full story on the controversy and next steps.”
This optimized version uses strong keywords (“Minister of Finance,” “corruption allegations”), highlights the core of the story, and ends with a soft call-to-action (“Read the full story”). It’s specific and enticing, making readers more likely to click.
By writing meta descriptions like this, you ensure that your article not only ranks but also captures attention in a crowded news landscape.