The psychology of scannable content and bullet points

Your content has 15 seconds. That’s it. In those precious moments, your reader’s brain makes a critical decision: scan or abandon. The statistics are sobering. Users read only 20-28% of webpage content, spending an average of 15 seconds on a page before deciding whether to stay or leave. Yet many content creators still write as if their audience will consume every carefully crafted sentence from start to finish.  

The reality? Your readers aren’t reading; they are scanning, which is why scannable content becomes important. This isn’t a failure of modern attention spans or a sign that people don’t value quality content. It’s neuroscience in action. The human brain has evolved sophisticated pattern recognition systems that help us quickly identify relevant information while filtering out the noise. And do you know what the most potent triggers for this system are? The humble bullet point.  

When readers encounter well-structured bullet points in your blog piece, their brains release small hits of dopamine, the same neurotransmitter associated with completing tasks and achieving goals. This is a biological reward system that makes scannable content easier to process and pleasurable to consume.  

Understanding the cognitive psychology behind how people process information isn’t just academic curiosity.  It’s also the key to creating content that converts, engages, and serves your audience’s actual reading behaviors. Tools like Yoast’s AI Summarize feature recognize this reality, helping content creators quickly identify and restructure their essential points into the scannable formats readers crave. 

The scanning habits of our brain  

The myth of linear reading 

If you believe your readers start at the top of your content and methodically work their way through each paragraph, you’re operating under a dangerous misconception. Eye-tracking research from the Nielsen Norman Group reveals that people don’t read online content, they scan it in predictable patterns.  

• F-shape scanning pattern: It is one of the most common reading patterns, where readers scan horizontally across the top, make a second horizontal scan partway down, then scan vertically down the left side.

• Layer cake pattern: This includes scanning headings and subheadings.  
• Spotted pattern: Jumping to specific words or phrases that catch attention.  

This isn’t laziness, it’s cognitive efficiency at its best. Our brains are wired to seek the path of least resistance when processing information. In a world where we’re bombarded with more content than we could ever consume, scanning helps us quickly identify what deserves our full attention. 

Cognitive load theory explains why this happens. Our working memory can only hold about 5 to 9 pieces of information at once. When content is presented in dense paragraphs, our brains work harder to extract meaning, creating mental fatigue that leads to abandonment.  

Factors that determine reading depth 

Not all scanning is created equal. Four key factors determine whether someone will scan briefly or dive deeper into your content:  

• Level of motivation: When readers desperately need specific information, like troubleshooting a technical problem, they’ll invest more cognitive resources in careful reading. But for general browsing, they’ll skim for signals of value.   

• Type of task: Fact-finding missions (like researching product features) create different reading behaviors than exploratory browsing. Task-oriented readers scan for specific data points, while browsers scan for interesting concepts.   

• Level of focus: A reader juggling multiple browser tabs while checking their phone will scan differently than someone in a quiet environment dedicated to learning. Multitasking reduces the cognitive resources available for deep processing.  

• Personal characteristics: Some people are naturally deep readers who prefer narrative content, while others are chronic scanners who gravitate toward lists and summaries. Age, education, and cultural background all influence these preferences.  

The impact of mobile evolution on content consumption 

Smartphone usage hasn’t just changed where we consume content, it’s rewired how we process information. The average smartphone user checks their device 96 times daily, creating a constant state of partial attention that makes scanning the dominant reading mode.  

Mobile screens compress information into narrow columns, overwhelming traditional paragraph structures. This physical constraint has trained our brains to prefer “thumb-friendly” content architecture: short paragraphs, frequent subheadings, and plenty of white space.

The impact transcends mobile devices. Desktop readers now expect the same scannable formats they’ve grown accustomed to on their phones. Content that doesn’t accommodate these evolved reading behaviors feels dated and inaccessible.  

The psychology behind bullet points

Understanding why bullet points work so effectively requires a quick look at how your brain processes information. When you encounter a wall of text, your mind has to work overtime to extract the key points, organize the information, and remember what matters. Bullet points do this heavy lifting for you, turning complex information into digestible chunks that your brain can process with minimal effort.

1. The mental burden relief of cognitive load reduction 

Bullet points aren’t just visually appealing, but also easy to scan. They’re cognitive performance enhancers. When information is presented in bullet format, our working memory can process it more efficiently because each point operates as a discrete unit.  

Research in cognitive psychology shows that structured information reduces the mental effort required for comprehension. This creates what researchers call “cognitive ease”, a state where information feels more trustworthy and credible simply because it’s easier to process.  

The famous 7±2 rule (also known as Miller’s Law) explains why bullet points work so well. Our working memory can comfortably hold 5-9 items at once. Well-crafted bullet lists respect this limitation by chunking information into digestible pieces that our brains can easily manipulate and remember.  

When content flows smoothly through our mental processing systems, we unconsciously associate that ease with quality and authority. This is why bullet points improve comprehension and credibility.  

2. Pattern recognition and predictability  

Human brains are pattern-recognition machines, constantly seeking familiar structures that help us predict what will happen next. Bullet points, through their predictable format, provide precisely this kind of psychological comfort.  

Visual hierarchy serves as a roadmap for our attention. When readers see a bullet list, they instantly understand the structure: each point will present a discrete piece of information, all points are roughly equivalent in importance, and the data can be consumed in any order.  

Gestalt principles explain why this works so well. Our brains use proximity (related items grouped), similarity (consistent formatting signals related content), and continuation (visual flow guides attention) to organize information efficiently. Bullet points leverage all three principles simultaneously.  

This predictability reduces cognitive anxiety. Readers don’t need to invest mental energy figuring out how information is organized, they can focus entirely on processing the content.  

3. The psychology of completion  

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of bullet point psychology is how it triggers our brain’s reward system. Each bullet point creates a micro-task that can be “completed” simply by reading. This completion triggers a small dopamine release; the same neurotransmitter associated with crossing items off a to-do list.  

The Zeigarnik effect demonstrates why this matters. Our brains create psychological tension around incomplete tasks, making them more memorable than completed ones. Bullet points cleverly exploit this by creating multiple small completion opportunities within a single piece of content.  

This neurological reward system explains why people find lists inherently satisfying. We’re not just consuming information; we’re experiencing a series of small accomplishments that make reading feel productive and rewarding.  

4. Visual breathing room

White space isn’t space; it’s cognitive breathing room. Dense paragraphs create visual clutter that triggers stress responses in our brains, making content feel overwhelming before we even begin reading.  

Bullet points introduce strategic white space that gives our visual processing system room to operate. This breathing room prevents cognitive overload and makes content more approachable and manageable.  

Eye movement research shows that readers’ gaze patterns follow predictable paths through well-spaced content. White space guides attention naturally, creating a visual rhythm that supports comprehension rather than fighting against it.  

The science of information processing  

Working memory and executive function  

Working memory is the temporary storage system where we manipulate information while processing it. Unlike long-term memory, which has virtually unlimited capacity, working memory can only handle a few items simultaneously.  

Bullet points support working memory by presenting information in pre-chunked units. Instead of extracting key points from dense paragraphs, a task that requires executive function resources, readers can directly process the distilled information.  

Research comparing narrative versus expository text comprehension shows structured formats consistently outperform traditional paragraphs for information retention and comprehension speed. The brain’s executive functions can focus on understanding content rather than organizing it.  

This is particularly important for complex or technical information. When cognitive resources are allocated efficiently, readers can engage with more sophisticated concepts without experiencing mental fatigue.  

The discrete thought advantage  

Each bullet point functions as a self-contained information unit, allowing for what cognitive scientists call “discrete processing.” Unlike paragraphs, where ideas build upon each other sequentially, bullet points can be processed independently.  

This creates a “mental reset” opportunity between points. Readers can fully process one concept before moving to the next, preventing cognitive overload when multiple ideas compete for working memory space.  

The difference is like comparing building a tower (paragraphs) versus collecting individual blocks (bullet points). Building requires awareness of the entire structure, while collecting allows focus on each piece.  

Speed vs. comprehension 

Critics often argue that scannable content sacrifices depth for speed, but research suggests a more nuanced reality. Studies show that bullet formats can improve comprehension for certain types of information while dramatically increasing processing speed.  

The key matches the format of the content type. Bullet points excel for factual information, feature lists, and step-by-step processes. They’re less effective for narrative content, complex arguments, and emotional storytelling.  

In research studies, retention rates for structured information consistently outperform unstructured text. The sweet spot appears to be content that balances scanning speed with information density, exactly what effective bullet points achieve.  

This is where AI-powered tools like Yoast’s AI Summarize feature become invaluable. They can analyze dense content and identify the key points that would benefit from bullet formatting, helping writers optimize speed and comprehension without sacrificing essential nuances.  

The hierarchy of scannable elements  

The content ecosystem  

Bullet points are not isolated components; they’re part of a broader ecosystem of scannable elements that work together to create user-friendly content. An effective scannable design incorporates multiple layers of visual hierarchy.  

Headings and subheadings serve as navigation anchors, allowing readers to identify relevant sections quickly. They’re the highway signs of content, helping people find their destination without reading every word.  

Numbers and statistics act as attention magnets, drawing the eye with their specificity and authority. Our brains are wired to notice numerical information, making stats powerful tools for engagement.  

Bold text and formatting provide visual cues that guide attention to key concepts. Strategic emphasis helps readers identify the most important information without overwhelming the overall design.  

White space ties everything together, preventing visual overcrowding and giving each element room to breathe. The silence between notes makes music coherent.  

Choosing from Lists and other formats  

Different content types call for different scannable formats. Understanding when to use each format prevents the monotony of bullet point overuse while optimizing for specific communication goals.  

1. Bullet points: They excel for features, benefits, and key takeaways where order doesn’t matter. They’re perfect for highlighting multiple advantages or listing unranked options. 

2. Numbered lists: These lists work best for processes, rankings, and sequential information. They provide clear progression and help readers track their position within the content.

3. Tables: Ideal for comparisons and data-heavy content. They allow readers to scan vertically and horizontally, facilitating quick comparisons across multiple variables.

4. Paragraphs: An essential storytelling instrument, context-building, and complex arguments requiring narrative development. The key is using them strategically rather than defaulting to them automatically.  

The mobile-first psychology

Mobile usage hasn’t just changed screen sizes, it’s fundamentally altered how we consume content. Thumb-scrolling creates different engagement patterns than mouse-based navigation, favoring content that works with natural thumb movements.  

The “thumb-friendly” hierarchy prioritizes easily tappable elements and accommodates one-handed usage. This means shorter sections, more frequent headings, and content designed for vertical scrolling rather than horizontal scanning.  

Responsive design psychology goes beyond technical implementation. It requires understanding how reading behaviors change across devices and optimizing content structure for each context.  

Implementing psychology-driven content

Knowing the science behind scannable content is one thing—putting it into practice is another. The good news? You don’t need a psychology degree to create content that respects how your readers’ brains work. With a few strategic adjustments to your writing process, you can transform dense, intimidating content into clear, engaging material that people actually read and act on. Here’s how to make the psychology work for you.

The content creator’s checklist  

• Pre-writing considerations: Analyze your audience’s attention constraints and reading context. Are they researching solutions under pressure, browsing casually, or seeking deep understanding? This determines your optimal scannable structure. 

• During writing: Identify natural breaking points during writing where concepts shift or new ideas emerge. These transition moments are perfect for bullet points, subheadings, or formatting changes supporting scanning behaviors. 

• Post-writing optimization: Simulate scanning behavior by reading only headings, first sentences, and formatted elements. Does the content still make sense and provide value? If not, restructure to serve better scanning readers.  

Tools and techniques  

1. Readability analyzers: They provide objective metrics for content accessibility, but understanding their psychological basis helps interpret results more meaningfully. High readability scores often correlate with scannable structure.

2. Heat mapping tools: One of the most potent tools for revealing reader attention patterns, showing where scannable elements succeed or fail. This data helps optimize formatting for real usage rather than theoretical best practices.

3. User testing methodologies: A one of the kind testing methods that is used for content structures and can also include card sorting exercises, first impression tests, and task-based evaluations. They reveal how well your formatting serves actual reader goals. 

Respecting your reader’s brain  

Understanding the psychology of scannable content isn’t about manipulating readers, but about respecting how their brains process information. Everyone wins when we create content that works with cognitive patterns rather than against them.  

Readers get information they can consume efficiently without sacrificing comprehension. Content creators build trust and engagement by serving their audience’s genuine needs rather than forcing outdated consumption models.  

The competitive advantage goes to those recognizing that effective content serves the reader’s brain, not the creator’s ego. Attention is the scarcest resource, so content that respects cognitive limitations while delivering genuine value will consistently outperform material that ignores psychological realities.  

Ready to implement these insights with Yoast SEO? Start by auditing your existing content through a psychological lens. Look for opportunities to break up dense paragraphs, add scannable elements, and create the visual breathing room that modern readers crave. Your audience’s brains and content performance will thank you.

Aman Soni

Yoast has been synonymous with the word digital marketing since the beginning of everything SEO. It has been an ever-present, like an omnipotent, all-knowing SEO plugin, the first one I ever used. Now, I am delighted and also in awe that I work for the very brand which I so revered! I work, read, write, swim, hike and make things happen.

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The Flesch reading ease score: Why & how to use it

If you have ever run your writing through a readability checker like Yoast SEO, you have probably come across the Flesch reading score. This metric was developed more than 70 years ago and is still one of the most widely used ways to measure how easy your text is to read. But what does it actually mean, and how does it affect your writing for the web?

In this guide, we will explain how the Flesch reading score works, why it became so prominent in publishing and SEO, and how you can use it effectively today. We will also show you where it fits into the Yoast SEO plugin and why we have introduced new readability checks alongside it.

What is the Flesch reading score?

The Flesch reading score, also called the Flesch reading ease test, was created by Rudolf Flesch in the 1940s. His goal was simple: to give writers a quick way of checking whether their text was easy to understand. The formula combines three basic elements: sentence length, word length, and syllable count. When these figures are combined into the formula, which I’ll explain in just a moment, they generate a score between 0 and 100.

The highest scores are reserved for the easiest text. For example, a score in the 90s suggests that a typical 11-year-old child should be able to read it without any difficulty. A score of around 60 is closer to plain English that a high school student would be expected to understand. Scores under 30 are considered very difficult and are only really found in academic or legal writing.

Here’s a quick overview of the ranges and what they mean:

Just for fun: this article itself scores around 63 on the Flesch reading score, which puts it in the “standard” range.

How the Flesch reading score is calculated

The formula behind the score looks intimidating, but don’t worry, it is surprisingly straightforward. In fact, it’s only based on two things. The total number of words divided by the total number of sentences, which gives us the ASL or Average Sentence Length, and the total number of syllables divided by the total number of words to get the ASW or Average Syllables per Word. Once we have these figures, we enter them into this formula:

206.835 – (1.015 × ASL) – (84.6 × ASW)

This will give us a score between 0 and 100. The longer your sentences and the more complex your words, the lower your score will be.

Let’s take a quick example by looking at this short text below:

“The cat sat on the mat. The dog barked.”

This has very short words and sentences, so it would score in the 90s, which means it is very easy to read.

Now compare it with:

“The domesticated feline reclined languidly upon the woven floor covering, while the canine produced a resonant vocalization.”

This is essentially the same meaning, but longer words and clauses drop the score dramatically, likely into the 30s.

This example shows why the Flesch reading score works well as a proxy for readability. It rewards writing that is concise and simple with a high score and wags a finger at writing that is dense and complex, ultimately giving it a low score.

Why the Flesch reading score became important

The Flesch reading score spread beyond classrooms into business and publishing because it answered a universal question: Is my writing easy to understand?

By the 1970s, the U.S. Navy was using it to ensure that training manuals were clear for recruits. Later, several U.S. states made it part of their official requirements for insurance documents and consumer contracts. Healthcare organizations also began using it to ensure that patient information was accessible.

When personal computers became common, Microsoft Word added the Flesch reading ease test to its spelling and grammar tools. Suddenly, anyone writing a school essay or business report could get instant feedback on readability. That mainstreamed the score and kept it relevant well into the digital age.

In the world of web writing, readability became even more critical. Online readers scan rather than study text. Research shows they decide within seconds whether a page is worth their time or not. That makes clarity a competitive advantage. Tools that included the Flesch reading score gave web writers a way to benchmark themselves and improve user experience.

The Flesch reading score in Yoast SEO

When Yoast introduced readability checks to the plugin, the Flesch reading score was one of the first tools we built in. We popularized the use of tools to score your content. It gave writers using WordPress an instant way to measure whether their content was accessible to a broad audience. You can still find the Flesch reading ease score inside the plugin today, in the insights tab.

This has helped thousands of users discover that shorter sentences and simpler words often improve how people engage with their content. While the score does not guarantee better rankings, it does contribute to a positive reading experience, which in turn can influence user behavior and SEO outcomes.

Why Yoast moved beyond Flesch

Although the Flesch reading score remains useful, it is not perfect. It only looks at sentence and word length, without considering context, tone, or audience. A blog post aimed at medical professionals may score poorly but still be exactly right for its readers.

That is why we developed additional checks, including word complexity, which evaluates how challenging your vocabulary might be. This allows writers to balance clarity with precision, rather than chasing a single score. In practice, this means you can still use the Flesch reading score as a quick reference, but you should combine it with other insights to get the full picture.

Should you still care about the Flesch reading score?

The Flesch reading score remains a valuable guide for writers who want to make their content more approachable. If your text scores very low, it may be worth shortening sentences or replacing long words with simpler alternatives. But you do not need to obsess over getting a perfect score.

Readability is about more than numbers. Think about your audience, their expectations, and the purpose of your content. Combine the Flesch reading score with other readability signals to create a text that is clear, engaging, and optimized for both humans and search engines.

How to use the Flesch reading ease score to improve your writing

We’ve come to the essential question. How can you use the Flesch score to improve your writing? Well, you write for an audience and know your audience the best. Before writing or editing, consider what kind of texts fit your readers. Do you sell clothes or organize photography workshops? Or do you write for a mom blog or make step-by-step DIYs? Your content should be relatively easy to read in all these cases since you are targeting a broad audience.

However, remember that you do not have to chase a high Flesch reading score at all costs. For example, you may write about complex, specialist topics for a specific, more knowledgeable audience. Or, perhaps you are an academic blogging about your research? It makes sense if the Flesch test produces a lower score in those cases.

Still, whatever your situation is, your text always benefits from concise language. So, if you want to benefit from the feedback the Flesch reading ease score gives you, focus on two things:

1. Shorten your sentences

Too many long sentences make your text difficult to read, while short sentences keep the subject clear. When the sentences in your text are short, you allow your readers to absorb the information in your text. As a result, they don’t need to use all their attention to decipher what you want to say. That is why we advise you to break down long sentences; your text will be much easier to read. 

And please, don’t think that by using short sentences, you will oversimplify your text. Let’s compare two short texts to show you what we mean. First, we have this sentence:

My favorite place to visit during weekends is my grandparents’ house near the lake, where we love to fish and swim, and we often take the boat out on the lake.

Did you find this sentence easy to read? Wasn’t it too lengthy, confusing, and difficult to process? Breaking it into two or more sentences can make it much clearer:

My favorite place to visit during weekends is my grandparents’ house. It’s near the lake, where we love to fish and swim. We also often take the boat out on the lake.

These few short sentences are much easier to read. Yet, you give the same information as in the long sentence, so there is no oversimplifying. Using short sentences keeps the subject clear and lets your readers absorb the information you’re presenting. 

2. Limit your use of difficult words

Words with four or more syllables are considered difficult to read, so try to avoid them where possible. Or try not to use them too much. For example, try words like small instead of minuscule, about instead of approximately, and use instead of utilize. We have the word complexity assessment in Yoast SEO Premium to help you with that.

If you want to reach a broad audience, you should also try to avoid using jargon. If you’re a medical expert, you’re probably familiar with terms like analgesic, intravenous, and oophorectomy. However, keep in mind that most people aren’t. When you can’t find a better alternative, make sure to explain it for users who might not know the word.

Conclusion

The Flesch reading score has been around for decades, and it is not going anywhere. It still offers a quick way to test whether your writing is easy to follow, and it continues to play a role in Yoast SEO. At the same time, the web has moved on, and so have we. By combining the score with modern checks like word complexity, you can create content that is not only readable but also effective in meeting your goals.

So next time you write a blog post, take a look at your Flesch reading score. Use it as a guide, not a rule. The result will be content that your readers and search engines will thank you for.

TLDR

• You should care about your score, but do not chase perfection. Balance readability with your audience’s needs
• The Flesch Reading Score measures how easy a text is to read, using sentence length and word length
• Scores range from 0 to 100: higher is easier. For example, 90–100 is very easy, 60–69 is standard, and 0–29 is very confusing
• It became popular in education, government, and publishing before being integrated into tools like Microsoft Word and SEO platforms
• In Yoast SEO, the Flesch reading score still exists in the Insights tab, but we now also use word complexity to provide more accurate feedback

Brendan Reid

Brendan is a seasoned writer with a particular interest in SMEs. What he really enjoys is being able to provide real, actionable steps that can be taken today to start making business better for everyone.

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How to create a good meta description

The meta description summarizes a page’s content and presents it to users in the search results. It’s one of the first things people will likely see when searching for something, so optimizing it is crucial for SEO. It’s your chance to persuade users to click on your result! This post will show you the characteristics of a good meta description and how Yoast SEO can help you get it right.

Did you get a red traffic light for the keyphrase in the meta description check in Yoast SEO? Read what this check does, and how to turn this traffic light green. Yoast SEO also checks the length of your meta description. Read about how that check works and how to write a concise meta description.

The meta description is an HTML tag you can set for a post or page of your website. In it, you can use roughly 155 characters to describe what your page is about. If you’re lucky, Google will show it beneath your page’s title in the search results. It allows you to convince search engine users that your page will offer what they are looking for.

In Google’s search results, this is where it can be displayed:

And this is what it looks like in the HTML code of the page:

The purpose of a meta description is simple: it needs to get someone searching with a search term on Google to click your link. In other words, meta descriptions are there to generate click-throughs from search engines.

Search engines say there is no direct SEO benefit from the meta description – they don’t use it in their ranking algorithm. But there is an indirect benefit: Google uses click-through rate (CTR) to determine whether you’re a good result. If more people click on your result, Google considers you to be a good result and will, based on your position, move you up the rankings. This is why optimizing your meta description is important, as is optimizing your titles.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that Google will display the description that you’ve written. But, as there is a chance it will, adding it to your post or page is always worth the effort.

What does a good meta description contain?

Here’s a list of elements you need to write a good meta description:

1. Keep it up to 155 characters
2. Use an active voice and make it actionable
3. Include a call to action
4. Use your focus keyphrase
5. Show specifications when needed
6. Make sure it matches the content of the page
7. Make it unique

Let’s go over them in detail!

1. Keep it up to 155 characters 

The right length doesn’t exist; it depends on the message you want to convey. You should take enough space to convey the message, but keep it short and snappy. However, if you check the search results in Google, you’ll mostly see snippets of 120 to 156 characters, like in the example below. Google says you can make your meta descriptions as long as you want, but there is a limit to what we can see in the SERPs — and that’s around 155 characters; anything longer will get truncated.

Unfortunately, you can’t fully control what Google displays in the search results. Sometimes, it shows the meta description, and sometimes, it just grabs some sentences of your copy or generates something itself. Either way, your best bet is to keep it short. That way, if Google does decide to show the description you’ve written, it won’t be cut short. 

2. Use active voice and make it actionable 

If you see the meta description as an invitation to visit your page, you have to think about your user and their (possible) motivation to visit your page. Ensure your description isn’t dull, difficult, or too cryptic. People need to know what they can expect to find on your page.

The example in the image below is the description you should strive to write. It’s active, speaks to you, and addresses you directly. You know what you’ll get if you click on the link!

3. Include a call-to-action

“Hello, we have a new product, and you want it. Find out more!” This overlaps with what we said about the active voice, but we wanted to emphasize it again. The meta description is your sales text. In this case, the “product” you are trying to sell is the linked page. Invitations like Learn more, Get it now, Try for free come in handy, and we use them too.

4. Use your focus keyword

If the search keyword matches a part of the text in the meta description, Google will be more inclined to use it and highlight it in the search results. This will make the link to your site even more inviting. Google sometimes even highlights synonyms. In the example below, both the Academy Awards and Oscars are highlighted. Getting your results emphasized like that makes them stand out even more.

5. Show specifications, where possible 

If you have a product in your Shopify or WooCommerce store aimed at the tech-savvy, it can be a good idea to focus on the technical specs. For example, you can include the manufacturer, SKU, price, etc. If the visitor specifically seeks that product, you won’t have to convince them. Can the watch help us stay fit? Sign us up; that’s all we need to know. Note that to optimize your result in this manner, you should work on getting rich snippets.

6. Make sure it matches the content of the page

This is an important one. Google will find out if you use meta descriptions to trick visitors into clicking on your results. They might even penalize you if you do it. But besides that, misleading descriptions will also increase your bounce rate. Which will also lower people’s trust in your company. It’s a bad idea for that reason alone. That is why you want the meta description to match the content on the page.

7. Make it unique 

If your meta description is the same as those for other pages, the user experience in Google will be hampered. Although your page titles might vary, all pages will appear the same because all the descriptions are identical. Instead of creating duplicate meta descriptions, you’d better leave them blank. Google will pick a snippet from the page containing the keyword used in the query. That being said, writing a unique meta description for every page you want to rank is always the best practice.

Adding a meta description is easy if you’re on WordPress or Shopify and using Yoast SEO. Firstly, you can write it in the Search appearance preview section of Yoast SEO. But Yoast SEO also gives you feedback on it in the SEO analysis. The plugin checks the meta description length and whether you’ve used your focus keyphrase. So, let’s see how the plugin helps you and what you can do with it. 

Using AI to generate meta descriptions in Yoast SEO Premium

Yoast SEO Premium has our Yoast AI Generate features, which include AI-powered meta description generation. This meta description generator brings the power of generative AI to your fingertips, producing engaging and SEO-optimized meta descriptions with just one click. Using advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques, it generates creative and appealing meta descriptions, captivating your audience while meeting search engine standards.

This feature simplifies your meta description optimization process and fully complies with best SEO practices. It enhances user experience, amplifies your website’s visibility, and effortlessly directs high-quality, organic traffic to your site. With this outstanding AI generator, effortlessly elevate your SEO performance and generate outstanding meta descriptions that set you apart.

What does the keyphrase in meta description assessment in Yoast SEO do?

This check is all about using the keyphrase in the meta description. A focus keyphrase is the search term you want a page to rank for. When people use that term, you want them to find your page. You base your keyphrase on keyword research. After your research, you should end up with a combination of words that most of your audience will likely search for. We’ve already discussed that when you use your keyphrase in the meta description, Google will likely highlight it. That makes it easier for people to see they’ve found what they are looking for. 

Yoast SEO checks if and how often you use the words from your focus keyphrase in the meta description text. In addition, if you use Yoast SEO Premium, it also considers the synonyms you enter. If you overdo it, the plugin advises you to limit the use of your focus keyphrase.

How to get a green traffic light for the keyphrase in meta description

You’ll get a red traffic light if you don’t mention the keyphrase in the meta description. So, make sure to write one. But don’t stuff your meta description with your keyphrase because that will also get you a red traffic light. And make sure to mention all the words from your keyphrase near each other. Search engines are pretty smart nowadays, but you must clarify what your page is about. 

Yoast SEO Premium plugin considers the synonyms you’ve added when it performs its analysis. This allows you to write more naturally, resulting in a more pleasant text. Moreover, it’s easier to score a green traffic light this way. Use it to your advantage!

What does the meta description length assessment do?

This meta description length assessment measures whether your description is too short (less than 120 characters) or too long (more than 156 characters).  You’ll get a green traffic light when your meta description has the right length. If it’s too long or too short, you’ll get an orange traffic light in the SEO analysis of Yoast SEO (or red if you’ve marked your article as cornerstone content).

How to write a concise meta description

A good meta description convinces people that your page offers the best result for their query. But, to be the best result, you must know what people seek. What is their search intent? Are they looking for an answer to a question? If they are, try to give them the most complete answer. Are they looking for a product? Write down what makes your product stand out and why they would best buy it in your store. Be concise and convincing!

You get real-time feedback on the meta description length in the Search appearance section in the Yoast SEO sidebar or meta box. Click “Search appearance” in the Yoast SEO sidebar to write a meta description. This will open the snippet editor, and you’ll see input fields for editing the SEO title, the slug, and the meta description. When you start typing in the meta description input field, the snippet preview at the top of the Search appearance editor will immediately show your new text. Underneath the input field, there is a bar. It’s orange when you start typing and will become green when you’ve added enough information. When you add too much text, it will turn orange again.

Writing or editing your meta description in the Yoast SEO meta box underneath your post editor is also possible. Go to the SEO tab in the meta box (if it’s not on this tab by default), and you can start typing in the field under Meta description immediately.

What to do if you need meta descriptions for a lot of pages?

After reading this, do you need to change all your meta descriptions? But are you not sure how to fit that into your schedule? Google has the answer:

“If you don’t have time to create a description for every single page, try to prioritize your content; at the very least, create a description for the critical URLs like your home page and popular pages.“

Advice from Google Search Central documentation

You can check which of your pages ranks highest with Google Search Console. Take it from there. It’s also possible to optimize your meta descriptions with variables in Yoast SEO. This allows you to speed up this process without worrying about duplicate descriptions.

If you prefer to write a unique description for each page and have much to get through, you can use the Bulk editor tool in Yoast SEO for WordPress. Head to the Tools page, click ‘Bulk editor’, then select the ‘Description’ tab. You’ll be able to see any meta descriptions already set for your pages, and you can quickly add new ones without opening each page individually. However, with this tool, you won’t get warnings if your description is too short/long, or if the focus keyword is missing.

Preventing snippets with Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO provides an easy way to control search result snippets using the nosnippet meta tag feature. This setting lets you prevent Google from displaying any snippet for particular pages, giving you control over what appears in search results. It’s especially useful when you want to prioritize privacy or ensure that content is not shown without its full context. With the nosnippet tag, you have another way to manage snippet creation and to align everything with your content strategy.

Do you have Yoast SEO? Check the Social media appearance in the Yoast SEO sidebar or social tab in the Yoast SEO meta box below your post or page. You can add a separate description for your social media channels there. In Yoast SEO Premium, you even have social previews that show you what your post or page will look like when shared on social media.

Conclusion to meta descriptions

Meta descriptions are a crucial yet often underestimated component of SEO — even if these are not fully in your control. It serves as a brief advertisement for your content in search results, influencing click-through rates and user engagement. Crafting clear, compelling, and keyword-rich meta descriptions can significantly enhance your online visibility. In return, it could attract more targeted traffic to your website. While they may not directly impact rankings, their role in driving clicks and conversions is undeniable.

A well-crafted meta description is not just about SEO; it’s about creating a better user experience by providing searchers with a clear, concise preview of what to expect on your page. Of course, Google might think it knows better than you, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put your best foot forward!

Read more: How to use the Google preview in Yoast SEO »

Edwin Toonen

Edwin is an experienced strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he worked for a top-tier web design magazine, where he developed a keen understanding of how to create great content.

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