Search Click Through Rates: The Power of Meta Descriptions

Getting a web page or blog post to rank in search engine result pages can be hard enough to achieve, let alone getting your target audience to actually click through to your website and find out more about your product or service.

However, recent research performed by Ignite Visibility suggests that there is a way to increase click through rates that anyone can leverage. Enter the meta description…

The research

Ignite Visibility’s research was achieved by polling over 500 people aged between 25 – 60, using questions around the following theme: “What do searchers look for in the search results, and how accurately do those results reflect search intent?”.

There was one question in particular that piqued my interest from an SEO perspective though (and prompted the creation of this article – you’re welcome!):

“What has the most impact on your decision to click on a search result?”

The results

The results of this single question are fairly surprising, and show that (of the participants surveyed) 62.9% of respondents said that the meta description tag is the factor that most influences their decision on a Google search result. In addition, 24.2% said that it’s the brand name, while only 13.0% said meta title tags.

However, the results of the research also show that 55.1% of respondents said that they only click on the search result for a brand that they’re already familiar with, which somewhat contradicts the information above, but may still stand if searchers are having to choose between the search engine results for two brands that they’re already aware of.

What does this mean?

There are two main things that could be taken away from this research, and they’re a perfect mix of digital marketing: SEO and Paid Advertising.

1. Writing compelling meta descriptions and meta tags is still incredibly important. Remember that they should include your chosen keywords and keyword phrases (while avoiding keyword stuffing) and align with search intent to ensure that Google uses your description rather than creating its own version from your content. Finally, make sure that the description also includes a call to action to encourage click through.
2. Increasing brand awareness is still incredibly important. Not only does it help you to build brand equity but it can also work to support and supplement your SEO strategy.

Summary

According to the results of the research, meta descriptions are clearly still an incredibly important part of SEO and potentially have a significant influence on click through rates from search results.

However, the research sample of 500 people, may not be enough to suggest that the results are statistically significant enough to divert marketing budget into crafting effective meta descriptions. That’s why we would suggest that meta information should be supported by marketing practices that help to build brand awareness and trust too.

This approach of combining traditional SEO best practice with paid methods (such as PPC and display advertising), helps to create a well rounded marketing strategy that supports brands from every angle.

If you would like to know more about how Coast Digital could support you in building brand awareness and encouraging higher click through rates in search results, please contact us today.