What is meta information?

What is meta information, why is it important, and how can you implement it effectively for website design/redesign?

When developing a website, Monday will ask you to "Update all meta titles, descriptions, slugs, and primary images for each page":

First, let's talk about what these things are.

Important definitions

1. Meta titles (aka: Title tag): A meta title is the anchor text for a webpage link, typically displayed as the clickable headline in search engine results. Meta titles generally include a company name and a brief descriptor, summarizing the content of the page in a concise manner.
   
2. Meta descriptions: A meta description is the text displayed below the meta title in search engine results. It serves to provide a brief summary of the business or product, helping users understand what the page is about. 
   
3. Meta slugs: Meta slugs are editable segments of the URL, typically found after the domain name. They help users understand the page content and assist search engines in indexing the webpage more effectively.

   Example: https://greenhouseuvu.com/meta-slug

4. Primary images: These are the main images featured on webpages, often used to visually represent the content or key message of the page.

Why is meta information important?

1. Meta titles: Meta titles indirectly affect the SEO of a website. Consumers are more likely to click on appealing webpage titles, so a well-written meta title is key to improved conversion rates. Improved conversion rates are a quality signal to Google, which are direct SEO ranking factors.
2. Meta descriptions: Like meta titles, meta descriptions indirectly affect the SEO of a website. Understanding user search intent and creating specialized meta descriptions can help improve Google quality signals, boosting webpage rankings.
3. Meta slugs: Meta slugs directly affect the SEO of a website. To understand why this is, let's do a quick crash course on URLs (Uniform Resource Locators). Let's begin by breaking down the following URL:

   https://greenhouseuvu.com/review-management-3-steps-to-local-search-success

   URL Element	Description
   https:	"The scheme," whatever method is used to access the webpage. Https means "secured" whereas http means "unsecured."
   //greenhouseuvu.com	"The authority," the webpage host.
   /	"Path indicator," the online path to the link destination.
   -	Indicates a text space within a title.

   The URL above is asking Google to securely (https) access greenhouseuvu.com and navigate to a blog called "Review Management 3 Steps to Local Search Success". In this example, the meta slug is "/review-management-3-steps-to-local-search-success" because it is the part of the URL that helps define the page's content and purpose.

   Meta slugs are a direct ranking factor for SEO because Google uses them to understand the structure of a webpage. Keyword-optimized slugs can help improve rankings, while clear, descriptive slugs also enhance user trust.

4. Primary images: Primary images indirectly affect webpage SEO through several factors, such as: bounce rate, loading speed, and online relevance. Optimizing images can be helpful in improving webpage quality and capturing consumer attention for longer periods of time, boosting SEO.

How to implement effective meta information (taken from this blog)

Part 1: Meta titles

1. Choose 1 primary keyword for the webpage.
2. Research long-tail variations of that keyword and choose 1 to focus on.
3. Create the title with the primary keyword in it and, if possible, the long-tail variation.
4. Consider the unique selling points of the webpage. Incorporate these key features into the title to make it more compelling (e.g., "Ultimate guide to...", "5 best...", "Clever ways to...", etc.).
5. Make sure the title is concise (< 60 characters).
6. Use this tool to check how long the final meta title is and see how it will appear on desktop and mobile SERPs.

Part 2: Meta descriptions

1. 2/3 of the time, Google bots will automatically change meta descriptions. So keep that in mind throughout this process.
2. The main point of the meta description is to get people to click! Make it entertaining and well-written.
3. Answer the following key questions:
   1. "What is the page about?"
   2. "Why is the page the best choice for my search?"
4. Include primary keywords naturally. 
5. Keep the description < 160 words.
6. Use a CTA at the end of the description (e.g., "Learn more", "Discover why", "Try now!", etc.).

Part 3: Meta slugs

1. Access the webpage URL and ask the following questions:
   1. "Does this URL look trustworthy?"
   2. "Is this URL understandable to the average consumer?"
2. Next, ask yourself the following questions:
   1. "Does this URL include the primary keyword?"
   2. "Does this URL demonstrate a clear path to this webpage?"
3. Finally, ensure that meta slugs are separated by hyphens ("-") not underscores ("_"). Google reads underscores as combined text, which could cause confusion and destroy indexing capabilities.

Part 4: Primary images

1. Choose an image that is unique and engaging.
   1. If possible, do not source primary images from stock websites. If you are a unique company, prove it! Unique images intrigue consumers and encourage image sharing on social media. 
2. Try to resize or condense images to optimize load speed. Use Google's PageSpeed Insights for help with this process. 
3. Include keyword-optimized alt text for images. Alt text is hidden from most users but accessible to visually impaired individuals. It provides a valuable opportunity to improve accessibility while optimizing for relevant keywords, helping both users and search engines understand the image content.

Ask your team lead if you have any questions about implementing meta information effectively into your client's website.