Hello,I am a developer and not an SEO expert, and I am encountering a strange issue with Google Search results. When I search for “ipsis” (a Dutch company), the description for the first search result is taken from a random or first paragraph in the DOM instead of showing the content of the meta-description tag.
Online tools like HeyMeta.com or Metatags.io show the description from the meta tag as expected. However, when I search for “ipsis marketing,” the description in the search result only displays items from a footer navigation element, starting with “Marketing” and followed by other items in the footer.
Could this be a result of Google Snippets? I still want snippets to be generated for specific content, but I would like the meta-description to be displayed in search results. The last example is particularly concerning as it is a worthless text that only mentions the word “Marketing” without providing any additional information.
Is it possible to have the meta-description show up in search results instead of random page content like in these examples?
It’s possible that Google is choosing to display a different snippet than the meta-description for a few reasons:
- Snippet Quality: Google prioritizes displaying snippets that are relevant and informative to the search query. If Google deems the meta-description less helpful than the content in a specific paragraph or footer navigation, it might choose to display that instead.
- Snippet Length: Google might truncate the meta-description if it exceeds the ideal length for a snippet. This could lead to an incomplete or misleading snippet.
- Snippet Freshness: Google might prioritize displaying content that is more up-to-date, which could lead to the selection of content that is not the meta-description.
While you can’t force Google to display the meta-description, you can influence its decision by:
- Writing compelling meta-descriptions: Ensure your meta-descriptions are concise, relevant to the page content, and accurately reflect the page’s purpose.
- Optimizing page content: Make sure the first paragraph or other content on your page is informative and relevant to the search query.
- Using structured data: Implementing structured data can help Google better understand your page’s content and potentially influence snippet selection.
It’s important to remember that Google’s algorithms are constantly evolving, and there’s no guarantee that a specific meta-description will always be displayed. However, by following these guidelines, you can increase the likelihood of your meta-description being used in search results.