A meta description is a short paragraph of descriptive words that add more detail to a product or SKU. Meta descriptions exist on the web for almost every webpage, and webpages with rich and detailed meta descriptions can be ranked higher than other webpages by search engines.
It's important to have as many meta descriptions as possible for your products in order to raise the chances of the product being searched for and found on online marketplaces. Having even a short meta description is better than having no meta description at all.
Here is how to add rich and useful meta descriptions to your products on Shopify in Zentail:
Go to the Catalog
Search for the item you'd like to add a meta description to
Click on the Product SKU
On the left side of the page, scroll down. You will see the Shopify subsection appear
Click 'Advanced Options' underneath the Shopify logo
Now that you've located the meta description area, here are a few tips for making a good meta description:
155 character or less
Include keywords
Another way to think about a meta description is to remember that search engines will 'see' it. It's a bit like telling Google, Yahoo, or Shopify's internal search engine all about your product's highlights.
For example, with this product, I wrote a description of the product's name, as well as some highlights about the product's fabric. I also thought about what might make the product attractive to runners and added the words 'lightweight.' To note, some companies and brands may have guidelines on what you can include in meta descriptions.
This meta description also contains the following:
A keyword about the brand (Adidas)
A keyword about the product line (Supernova)
A keyword about what the product is (Running Shorts)
A keyword that might attract the market (lightweight)
With a rich meta description, this product now has a much better chance of getting noticed by search engines. Ultimately, shoppers will have an easier time locating the product, too!
Feel free to chat with us at Zentail if you could use a hand with creating meta descriptions or optimizing your store for Shopify.