Welcome to Part 4 of our Local SEO series!
So far, we’ve introduced you to the Google Map Pack, explored how to conquer it, and outlined some strategies to help you optimize your Google Business Profile. In this installment, it’s all about metadata.
Are you ready to become a metadata master?
What Is Metadata?
Metadata refers to data that describes other data. It includes information like page titles, descriptions, and image alt attributes, contributing to the structural organization of a website and enhancing both user experience and search engine crawlability.
Not entirely sure what we’re going on about? Take a look at our What the Heck is SEO? blog for a complete rundown of SEO basics.
Metadata is a snippet of information embedded within a website’s HTML code. This data provides search engines with crucial details about a particular webpage's content.
1. Meta Titles
A meta title appears as a clickable headline in search engine results pages (SERPs), and the quality of your meta title can significantly impact your SEO rankings and click-through rates.
2. Meta Descriptions
A meta description is a brief description outlining the contents of a webpage. Depending on the quality of the meta description and its relevance to the page contents, the search engine may display the meta description on the SERP.
It’s up to the algorithm to decide whether your meta description makes the cut as a site link, so following best practices here can make all the difference. The right meta description could be just what you need to entice users to visit your webpage and interact with your brand.
3. Image Alt Tags
Alt tags (aka “alt text” or "alternative text") are short descriptions, a maximum of 125 characters, which depict the content of images on your website. Not visible to the average visitor, they inform search engines about the content of an image and enable your webpage to appear in relevant search results, improving your site’s overall rankings.
Alt tags also make your website more accessible to users who are visually impaired and utilize screen readers to ingest content. Including alt text for your images allows those users to experience the entirety of your webpage, images included. Plus, website accessibility practices are an added boost to your SEO rankings.
Enhance Local SEO with Metadata Best Practices
Crafting compelling meta tags is an art. The best of the best satisfy both search engines and prospective buyers alike, increasing your website’s ranking and persuading browsers to click through to your site.
If you’ve got local buyers in your sights, you can optimize your meta tags to boost your local SEO strategy and establish yourself in your community.
Make Your Mark Locally with Meta Titles
Short and sweet is best when it comes to meta titles. Keep it between 50-60 characters to ensure your titles are displayed properly and look their best in search results.
Your Meta Title should include:
Brand Name
Keywords (i.e. product or service)
Location
Separators
Be sure to tactfully incorporate your keywords within your meta titles, including location, to improve your local SEO game. Incorporate pipe (|) or dash (-) separators to maintain clarity and a clean aesthetic.
Notice how we’ve incorporated our brand name, service keywords, and location to optimize our SEO performance. We can reach a larger audience and brew even more brands we love through these techniques!
Drive Local Business with Optimized Meta Descriptions
An ideal meta description is 150-160 characters long and acts as a sort of hook to reel visitors to your page. This applies to core web pages and blog posts alike.
Your Meta Description should include:
Page Purpose/Teaser
Results/Impact (noting your business name)
Location
The intention is twofold: to inform search engines about the contents of your page to improve your rankings and to entice readers to click through to your page.
Just like your meta titles, meta descriptions present an opportunity for you to leverage your service location and boost your local traffic.
Let's compare the following meta descriptions from The Brand Brew website:
Services Page
The meta description for our Solutions landing page incorporates our brand name, page subject relating to our service offerings, and the results achieved by acquiring our services – we help businesses stand out. Benefit-led copy has a place everywhere, even metadata!
Contact Page
This meta description once again incorporates valuable keywords related to our service offerings, as well as our brand name and a location-specific keyword. It tells search engines and users what we’re all about while giving us a leg-up for any Waterdown-based searchers looking for a local business.
Blog Posts
Don’t forget - blog posts deserve metadata, too!
Notice how the meta description for our blog post, 7 Truths About SEO, outlines precisely what the reader will learn by clicking through to the blog and the benefits of doing so. The search engine knows that the blog covers the secrets to SEO success, and the reader can see that it’s a valuable resource for increasing their organic traffic, so they’re more likely to give it a read.
See how a blog can attract more website visitors while simultaneously helping your SEO strategy? Read all about the benefits of blogging here.
If you’ve been following along with our local SEO series, you know that there are a lot of factors to consider when optimizing a website for local organic traffic. With The Brand Brew’s Website Design Experience, we take the reins and drive your website’s local SEO strategy so that you’re a household name before you know it. Book a call today and put your business on the map.