Google: Meta Descriptions Not Required For SEO. But They’re Worthwhile.

Google’s John Mueller answered a mobility connected Reddit astir whether meta descriptions are pointless. His reply whitethorn beryllium somewhat astonishing to SEOs who are willing successful really to constitute a bully meta explanation and who are disappointment erstwhile Google overwrites them.

An SEO Says Meta Descriptions Are Pointless

An SEO connected Reddit asked whether meta descriptions person go useless and pointless based connected thing different SEO posted connected societal media. The sentiment that they are useless was grounded successful the thought that Google rewrites them, removing immoderate inducement aliases constituent to create them successful the first place.

Writing Meta Descriptions Is Not A Requirement

The Redditor asked:

“Meta descriptions pointless and useless?”

Another Redditor answered:

“It’s true. Not because he said it, but it’s been existent for 20+ years.”

Google’s John Mueller answered:

“Yes, but also, there’s nary punishment to penning your own, and sometimes it helps you to fig retired a clear attraction for a page. Overall, I deliberation it’s still worthwhile to do truthful for individual pages that you attraction about, but it’s decidedly not a requirement.”

Mueller’s consequence had 3 nuances that are worthy exploring.

The evident takeaway is that meta descriptions are not required and, secondly, that location is nary punishment for not penning them. His consequence aligns pinch Google’s ain guidelines, which powerfully connote that meta descriptions are not necessary.

Google’s charismatic archiving explains:

“If you don’t person clip to create a explanation for each azygous page, effort to prioritize your content; astatine the very least, create a explanation for the captious URLs for illustration your location page and celebrated pages.”

Meta Descriptions Are Not Pointless

So, while it’s not basal to create them for each page of a website, Google still recommends penning them for the astir important pages. There are galore longstanding reasons why it’s important to constitute meta descriptions for important pages.

One of the evident ones is merchandise pages. Many times the accusation for merchandise pages is scattered passim a web page, pinch information astir the price, reviews, the merchandise manufacturer, and exemplary listed successful different parts of the page, which makes it difficult for Google to create a snippet for that.

Google’s ain guidelines for meta descriptions explicate different logic why they are not pointless:

“The meta explanation doesn’t conscionable person to beryllium successful condemnation format; it’s besides a awesome spot to see accusation astir the page. For example, news aliases blog postings tin database the author, day of publication, aliases byline information.

This tin springiness imaginable visitors very applicable accusation that mightiness not beryllium displayed successful the snippet otherwise. Similarly, merchandise pages mightiness person the cardinal bits of information—price, age, manufacturer—scattered passim a page. A bully meta explanation tin bring each this information together.”

So, if a tract proprietor takes disconnected their SEO chapeau and puts connected their Brand Manager hat, past they will spot that it tin beryllium important to power the contented successful the meta explanation successful bid to person a accordant and charismatic meta explanation that communicates really the institution would for illustration to beryllium perceived.

SEOs utilized to telephone Google’s automated snippets ransom notes for a reason. They’re not ever the coherent connection that a tract proprietor would for illustration to present. So, if it matters really a institution is perceived by consumers aliases the audience, past it makes a batch of consciousness to astatine slightest create meta descriptions for the astir important

Figure Out The Page Focus

The 3rd takeaway is rather apt the astir interesting. Mueller said the enactment of penning a meta explanation is itself a useful workout because it forces the tract proprietor (or the SEO) to deliberation astir what an individual web page is about. The enactment of penning a meta explanation tin thief place whether the web page is really astir the topics the authors intended.

Even erstwhile Google ignores a meta description, summarizing a page successful 1 aliases 2 short sentences requires a patient to articulate what the page is really about. That benignant of clarity astir the contented has worth successful position of knowing whether the page is really optimized for the intended assemblage and topics.

Google Recommends Prioritizing Important Pages

Mueller’s reply aligns pinch Google’s ain guidance, which recommends prioritizing the contented itself complete fussing complete meta descriptions. Google’s guidelines urge focusing connected penning meta descriptions for captious pages if creating meta descriptions is simply a burden, particularly if location are thousands of pages.

What that intends is that tract owners don’t request to constitute unsocial descriptions for each page; the homepage, cardinal landing pages, and high-traffic contented are wherever the effort is astir apt to beryllium useful successful position of controlling what is shown successful Google’s hunt results truthful that a portion of a website’s characteristic aliases branding tin radiance through.

Meta descriptions are optional, but they are besides not pointless. If each you look astatine is whether aliases not it serves a ranking purpose, past yes, a meta explanation is pointless. But if you return disconnected the SEO chapeau and put connected a trading and branding hat, past a meta explanation becomes important, arguably much truthful successful these days erstwhile brand is becoming the caller backlink.

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