Easy SEO for Wedding Pros
Understanding Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Okay...so we know we covered search engine optimization for wedding businesses in another blog post. But remember when we mentioned it being a “bit more complicated” with some “technical magic happening behind the scenes” (yep, we really just quoted ourselves)? Consider this your backstage pass to understanding some of that magic.
Let’s talk SEO: title tags and meta descriptions.
What Are Title Tags?
Search engines learn what your website has to offer by “crawling” your content, or reading it. Title tags are a super essential piece to that puzzle.
A title tag is an HTML element used to specify the topic of your webpage. Similar to the title of a book, the title tag should tell search engines and the couples reading your website what the page is about. Seems pretty simple, right? It almost is. Except you’ve gotta do it in the most concise way possible, within 50 – 60 characters.
Even if you don’t know it, you’ve seen title tags before. When you Google something, the headline that shows up on the search engine results page (SERP) is a title tag. Title tags and meta descriptions are also pulled through when you post a link on Facebook or other social media sites.
The larger text in blue on the above example is the title tag. The text below it is called a meta description.
Because title tags are the first thing you see in a Google search, you want your title tag to be compelling. For example, if you search for “wedding photographers in Maryland,” several different webpages for Maryland wedding photographers will show up. Your job, as the copywriter, is to make sure your webpages stand out from the others. It’s your first impression of your business and brand. Make sure your title tag is packed with SEO keywords to help improve your ranking. (What’s an SEO keyword? Head back to our previous blog to get the quick and dirty version.)
What is a Meta Description?
Just as title tags are used to headline your web page, meta descriptions are the 160-character summary of what visitors can expect to see within your content. Search engines use these snippets in the SERP to provide visitors a preview of what a page is about before they click it. Think of it as reading the back of a book to determine whether or not the book will make it to the sales counter with you.
You’ve definitely seen these before, too, even if you didn’t know it. On a SERP, meta descriptions are found right under the title tag. Take our business, for example. When looking us up, you’ll see the title of our website (that’s the title tag), and a little excerpt that sums up exactly what you’ll find within our content.
Title tags and meta descriptions both have character limits. Make sure you stay around 50 - 60 characters for title tags and 150 - 160 for meta descriptions. If you go over, Google will cut you off using an ellipses, as seen above.
Similar to crafting title tags, writing a good meta description is all in the language. It takes a level of creativity and writing moxie to put together a high-performing meta description in 160 characters or less. we recommend adding a call to action to the end of your meta description to entice a prospect to click through.
How Do I Know if I Have Meta Data on My Website?
There is an easy trick to help you find what your existing title tags and meta descriptions are. You can find title tags, meta descriptions, and other HTML elements of your content by:
right-clicking anywhere on the page
selecting “Inspect” from the menu
Hitting the keyboard shortcut for searching on the page (Command-F on a Mac)
Searching for “title” or “description”
Steps 1 & 2: Right click on the webpage and hit “Inspect.”
Doing so will open the “Inspect” window.
Steps 3 & 4: Hit Command-F to open a search bar and type in “title” or “description.” The above image shows the title tag for this page: “Website Copywriting Services for the Wedding Industry — Lemon Tree Editorial.”
The above image shows the meta description for this page: "Looking for a website copywriter to make your wedding business stand out from the crowd? Explore copywriting services by wedding experts Lemon Tree Editorial. Our services span full and single page copywriting and website audits.”
Can I DIY My SEO?
Is it possible for you to write eye-catching title tags on your own? Yes!
Can you be the brains behind writing your own meta descriptions? Sure can!
If you want SEO to be your new hobby, you can definitely be the one-man band behind your own search engine optimization. But our guess is that you’ve got enough on your plate with running your wedding business. When you hire Bigmouth Copy to write your website copy, it’s our job to bring your business vision to life...SEO included (did we mention we include title tags and meta descriptions in all of our website and blog packages?).
Whatever your decision, we’re in your corner. Whether that means cheering you on for your own bad-assery or becoming your writing partner to drive more traffic to your site. Remember, we’re a team!