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At the end of last year, there were changes in Google search results regarding the length of snippets and meta descriptions. This update is of great importance for SEO specialists and website owners.
For example, when you search for “net neutrality legislation” on the first page of search results, you can now see a link to an article in a reputable publication, accompanied by a snippet that is significantly longer than the standard 165 characters. Previously, descriptions of longer length were rarely shown, only 10% of the time. But now snippets longer than 250 characters have become the norm.
Interestingly, the new rules apply to both mobile devices and desktops. Thus, smartphone users can also see longer and more informative snippets in search results.
Increasing the snippet size clearly improves the user experience. For example, when searching for “net neutrality legislation,” the description used to often break off, not giving the user a complete answer. Now, thanks to the increase in the limit to 273 characters, the description gives a complete definition, and the text does not break off in the middle.
This is a significant improvement in user experience. If previously users were forced to go to the site to get complete information, now long snippets allow them to find the answer directly on the search results page.
Google has officially updated two aspects: it has removed restrictions on snippet length and revised its guidelines. Previously, the search engine recommended meta descriptions of 160-180 characters in length, but now such restrictions have been lifted. SEO specialists are still trying to determine the optimal length of a snippet, but most likely it should not exceed 320 characters. Despite this, snippets exceeding 300 characters are still extremely rare.
Google updated the limits in November, and by December, more than half of queries showed featured snippets. Today, larger snippets can be seen on the first page for about half of all search queries.
However, the question arises: why does the other half of the requests not have updated snippets? The answer is simple: many sites have not updated their meta descriptions, leaving them limited to 165 characters. This opens up opportunities for improving search rankings if you update the snippets on your site.
As a result of these updates, SEOs will have to reconsider several important aspects:
1. How meta descriptions are composed and optimized
Now that there are no restrictions on the length of snippets, SEO specialists can provide more complete answers to user queries. This means that if previously the main focus was short text, now it is important to create informative, detailed snippets that can attract the attention of users directly in the search results.
2. CTR (click-through rate)
The introduction of longer snippets will likely have an impact on click-through rates, although the effect will vary between simple and more complex queries. For simple queries, long snippets can reduce CTR because users can get the information they need right away. However, for complex queries, rich snippets, on the contrary, increase engagement, since users will be interested in going to the site to get more detailed information.
3. Number of clicks for sites in the top
Sites that appear at the top of search results receive more clicks. This will cause SEO specialists to become more active in their quest to get to the top, since the increased volume of snippets can play a significant role in attracting traffic. The loss of first page rankings will be less dramatic as updated snippets can continue to attract users' attention.
To improve positions and increase visibility in search results, it is worth reviewing the snippets for key landing pages that bring the main traffic. The optimal size for new snippets is from 230 to 320 characters.
If you need more information or help in optimizing snippets, write to SEO COMPUTER SEO studio by email info@seo.computer.
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