What is Meta Description Length

Meta description length refers to the count of characters in the meta description of a webpage. They are HTML attributes that provide a brief summary of the content on your webpages. Although not directly a ranking factor, they often influence click-through-rate (CTR), a potential ranking factor.

The optimal length is generally considered to be between 150-160 characters. This is because most search engines truncate meta descriptions after around 160 characters, thus anything beyond this may not be visible to users.

However, when writing meta descriptions, it's not just about the length. It's just as valuable to make sure that it's descriptive, compelling and includes relevant keywords for SEO purposes. This encourages user to click on the link.

The role of meta descriptions in digital marketing largely centers on improving CTR from organic search results. An optimized meta description can give a brief insight into your site content and convince users to click.

A well-crafted, keyword-rich meta description can improve the visibility of your website in search engine results. It can also influence a potential customer's decision to choose your listing over your competitors.

Moreover, a good meta description can improve website accessibility. For people who use screen readers because of a visual impairment, an insightful meta description can be helpful in understanding whether the content is relevant to their search query.

Here are some examples of good meta description practices: 'Explore our range of high-quality, affordable furniture for your home. Shop now to enjoy free shipping on orders over $50.' This example is within the recommended length, uses relevant keywords (affordable furniture) and includes a call-to-action (Shop now).

'Discover tips and tricks on digital marketing from industry experts. Get insights on SEO, social media marketing, content marketing and more.' This meta description uses relevant keywords targeting individuals interested in learning about digital marketing and mentions some topics to expect.

Last example would be 'Your one-stop-shop for books and novels across genres. Free delivery and 30-day return on all orders.' This summary effectively communicates what the site is about (selling books), with a call-to-action (free delivery and 30-day return) to attract potential customers.