Why Duplicate Meta Descriptions Are Bad For SEO And How To Avoid Them

Why Duplicate Meta Descriptions Are Bad For SEO And How To Avoid ThemMeta descriptions are the preview of the web page that appears in the search results. This element of a web page is sometimes handled via automation, a web designer, or by the content writer depending on your CMS. Due to the tedious nature of meta descriptions and sometimes the automation of them, some end up with the same or extremely similar descriptions for multiple pages. However, this has been shown to hurt rankings. Let’s look at why duplicate meta descriptions are bad for SEO and how to avoid them.First off, meta descriptions offer an opportunity for further search engine optimization. Using keywords and writing a short summary of the web page tends to help the ranking of the overall page. Additionally, even if two pages are on similar topics, the meta descriptions should reflect what makes each unique. Secondly, if you have duplicate meta descriptions, the search engine algorithm may rewrite them for you. This can lead to descriptions that do not make sense, are not relevant, or simply do not rank as well. These meta descriptions also tend to have lower click-through-rates and are not nearly as effective or optimized as uniquely written meta descriptions. To avoid duplicate meta descriptions, either write all your meta descriptions individually or when automating meta descriptions, make sure to set up rules that allow for each description to be somewhat unique. This usually means making sure the name of the page is included and any duplicate wording is short or transitional words.To learn more and schedule a free marketing consultation, call us at 206-787-0784 or reach out online.