Finding & Fixing Duplicate Meta Descriptions
December 29, 2012
Registration on Google Webmaster Tools* (now called Google Search Console) has opened up a tremendous resource for me. Don't let the term "webmaster" hold you back. There is a lot of information that a lay person or SEO novice can understand and use to improve their site.
Today we will discuss Meta Descriptions.
Meta descriptions show up in Google searches. The meta description is the text description below the link.
Watch this Google Video first..... and then I will tell you how to find your Meta Descriptions in Google Webmasters and the SEO goal for artists and makers.
How much time should I spend on meta tags, and which ones matter?
Our Goal in today's post is to consider writing fabulous Meta Descriptions (as described in the video) and FIX DUPLICATE Meta Descriptions. Google does not like duplicate content.
Finding and fixing duplicate meta descriptions is similar to fixing duplicate title tags in the post SEO Success: Fix Those Duplicate Titles.
Go to your Google Webmaster page. (The photo below shows my HOME on Google Webmaster Tools. This will be the example because I can't look at your Google Webmaster Tools.)
CLICK on your website URL. (In the image above it says: www.harriete-estel-berman.info)
Look at the image below.
It shows the Google Webmaster TOOLS.
In the left-hand column find where it says: Optimization
In your Google Webmaster Tools CLICK on
Optimization.
It shows you a whole list of tools (like in the image below).
CLICK on
HTML Improvements.
We want to look under
HTML Improvements
for the
DUPLICATE META DESCRIPTIONS.
In the image below:
HTML Improvement says that my website has 27 Duplicate Meta Descriptions.
This picture is very small (click on the image for a larger view.)
27 Duplicate Meta Descriptions is very bad news!!!
Google does not like duplicate content of any kind.
Google wants original content on the internet on every single page. Duplicate content is considered spammy, lazy, and fake. If you have any duplicate content on your website, change it as soon as possible.
DETAILED EXAMPLE BELOW:
Below is the list of URL pages on my website with Duplicate Meta Descriptions. (CLICK on image for larger view.)
I didn't know about any of this duplicate information on my site....and I do all the work on my site myself. This is why Google Webmaster Tools is so helpful.
In the Google Webmaster Tools, you can click on any one of these listings. It shows the exact pages with duplicate content. BELOW is what Google Webmaster Tools said about my website. It lists the URLs.Each one of the URLs in the list (shown in the above image) represents one HTML page on my website.
On my website they open smaller "pop-up" windows. On my Sculpture page, if you CLICK on the images this is what it looks like.
I had to go behind the scenes on my website and rewrite the Meta Descriptions for each page.
I spend hours fixing the Duplicate Meta Descriptions for all 27 pages, but it is an absolute necessity. Original content is the internet of the future.
Google is clearly establishing that original content is a priority in every respect.Original content on every page, for every item, object, piece of jewelry, painting, sculpture, or ceramic work.
Original content for your Titles, Meta Descriptions, and the content on your website and blog is an absolute necessity for top SEO. Artists and makers that are creating original content can make this an advantage and an asset with careful management of their website content.
*The post Did You Register Your Web Site on Google Webmaster Tools? will help you register and verify your site with Google Webmaster Tools.
This post was updated on July 11, 2022, to provide current links.