How to Use Meta Descriptions for Affiliate Program Work
When you’re working with an affiliate program, your aim is always to get your content in front of the right people. And as many of them as you possibly can. Technical SEO plays a significant role in that. But an often-overlooked part of technical SEO is meta descriptions. While they don’t directly contribute to SEO, they can support it. So, what are meta descriptions, and how can you use them for your affiliate program work?
The Role of Meta Descriptions in Improving Affiliate Program Success
What is a meta description?
A meta description is an HTML component that provides a brief synopsis of a webpage. It will sometimes appear below your page’s URL on search engines. Some search engines – such as Google – automatically generate meta descriptions for webpages because it helps users to more easily find what they are looking for. But if you write your own, you can gain control over what organic traffic sees when searching for your keywords.
How do you write strong meta descriptions?
Keep it short
Meta descriptions should be no more than 105 characters. This ensures that search engines do not prune them to fit the allocated space.
Include keywords
As already mentioned, meta descriptions don’t directly contribute to SEO. But by including your most relevant keyword in your meta description, you’re making it easier for people to see that your content is relevant.
Be relevant
The only reason people click on a link is if it looks like it will answer their needs. So, you need to make it clear that your article is relevant to them. If you’re promoting dating offers, for example, you need to make that clear in your description. ‘Top five discounts for dating sites, money off…’ for example. Also ensure that any products or services featured are mentioned in your meta description.
Don’t copy and paste
If you’ve created a really strong meta description that seems to work for you, it’s tempting to use it again. Don’t. Whether you’re looking for dating traffic or finance, you should always use unique meta descriptions. This will make each post more relevant and appealing.
Use a CTA
Adding a call to action (CTA) is common practice for a whole range of online content. And it’s just as important when creating meta descriptions. It’s essentially asking your reader to engage. Without a CTA, meta descriptions can seem impersonal and less relevant.
Do you need to write meta descriptions for everything?
No. While it won’t do any harm to meticulously craft meta descriptions for everything you do, it’s not strictly necessary. And as Google creates its own meta descriptions where they are lacking (or not up to standard), missing the odd one isn’t a big issue. However, we would recommend creating meta descriptions for anything directly related to youy affiliate partnership program offers.
Creating good meta descriptions can be a simple way to improve your organic traffic click through rate. And they are equally useful for all the different content types, whether you’re producing blogs, ebooks, or podcasts. Having the right meta descriptions can change the results you get from your affiliate program work. Changing your online dating affiliate work from a side hustle to a full-time occupation.