Meta Descriptions For Real Estate SEO
The search engine results page, or SERP, can quickly become a monotonous sea of text.
With so much going on, how does one stand out from the rabble?
One of your most important tools for encouraging users to click through to your real estate website is a well-thought-out, engaging and eye-catching meta description. That’s the brief block of text that appears right under the main title of your page in search results.
Meta descriptions are not used to rank webpages, but they are one of the most eye-catching and information-rich pieces of real estate on the search results page. You've worked this hard to get your page in front of someone's eyes, and now Google is giving you a free billboard to seal the deal. Use it!
Here's the catch: you have less than 160 characters to convince someone to click on your link over someone else's.
So, to use that space wisely, here is some vital information and tips on how to write engaging meta descriptions for real estate.
Real Estate Meta Description SEO Tips
General meta description guidelines to get you started:
- Aim for 150 characters or less
- Write for humans
- Be clear and informative
- Offer value and inspire action
- Avoid clichéd prompts like "Click here now!"
While we say "write for humans", there is one aspect of keyword matching that should be taken into consideration: Any keywords that match or are closely related to a user’s search query will be bolded. This can, in turn, help your relevant search result stand out even more.
Keep in mind that if you don’t define the meta description yourself, Google will generate one automatically using the opening sentences on the page, or cobbled together from on-page information relating to the searcher’s query.
Creating your own custom meta descriptions is a great way to control the information that is being displayed.
In addition to the search engine results page, your meta description will also appear as the stock description to a link shared through social media, so make sure it’s written to entice users to click on your link.
Now, let’s go through a few common pages on your real estate website, along with some tips for creating some stellar meta descriptions that are sure to make your content irresistible!
Real Estate Meta Descriptions: The Basics
Most real estate pages will require three things in their meta descriptions:
- What - This will usually be something like "homes", "real estate", or "properties", but sometimes you might have to be more specific, like "foreclosures" or "farmland".
- Where - This will be the relevant area. For you homepage you could mention your general service area, and for individual listing pages it could be the specific neighborhood or subdivision.
- Why - Why should they click on your link? Here you can include something about what you're offering, from "custom search features" to "virtual home tours".
Check out this example:
Note that it has the what and where (real estate in Calgary), it has the why (getting help finding the finest property), and it prompts action (contact).
It's also handy to start with an action word like "view", "find", "browse", "get", etc.
Real Estate Meta Description Examples
The Home Page
The home page is arguably the most important page of your real estate website to have optimized for SEO -- the meta description included. For many users, it’ll be the first introduction to your real estate company through branded searches, as well as more general real estate searches in your market. An effective strategy is to split your home page’s meta description into a one-two punch that promotes your primary keyword target, as well as your brand.
“Explore the Nanaimo real estate market with the best local REALTORS®. Let the REW home team help you buy or sell a home in the mid-island region today!”
Community Pages
These are the pages dedicated to the different cities, neighbourhoods and condo developments that make up your target market. Although it may be tempting go heavy on verbose prose, in reality, a short, to-the-point meta description describing exactly what’s on the page is normally best.
“Explore Departure Bay homes for sale in beautiful Nanaimo, BC. Uncover the most up-to-date real estate listings for the Departure Bay community today!”
About Us
This page type is your best chance to connect to your client base on a personal level. It’s also among the best pages to target keywords related to AREA real estate agent, AREA real estate team or AREA real estate agency, depending on your situation.
“Are you looking for a great Nanaimo real estate agent? Look no further than the REW Home Team, your experienced, knowledgeable Nanaimo homes specialists!”
Buyer & Seller Guides
The content of this style of page allow you to present the strategies and tactics that make you stand out from your competitors. Hence, your meta description should provide an engaging glimpse of the insights to be found on the page.
“Interested in buying a home in stunning Nanaimo, British Columbia? Learn all you need to know with the REW Home Team's comprehensive buyer's guides & tools!”
“Get access to insider tips that REALTORS® refuse to share with Nanaimo home sellers, courtesy of the certified home sellers at the REW Home Team.”
Blog
Your website’s blog is a great resource for providing up-to-the-minute market information, community news and other timely updates to local users. The meta description should highlight the timely information and valuable insights to be found within.
“Keep up-to-date with the real estate market in Nanaimo & Vancouver Island with the Nanaimo real estate blog. Gain great insights from long-time insiders!”
"Thinking of hiring a Nanaimo Property Management company? A good property management company can be your greatest assets, if you make the right choice!"
Property Listing Pages
Easily overlooked, the property details pages are the bread and butter of any real estate website and shouldn’t be forgotten. Try to incorporate some of the vital information that users might include when searching for a specific property.
“Learn more about 1662 Florence Ave in Fort Walton Beach, FL, MLS#: 779875 priced at $279,900 right now! Click for more details about this real estate listing today!”
In the rush to get new content published on your website, the meta description can often be overlooked as they aren’t immediately visible like headings or the title tag.
Don’t make this mistake.
Write Meta Descriptions For Real Estate
Here's an example of how to write a standard meta description for real estate:
- Start with a brief summary or description of the page content. What is the page about?
- Follow up with a value proposition or a benefit statement
- End with a call-to-action (CTA) that will entice the user to click on the link.
So the template for a standard meta description is as follows: [Content] + [Value] + [Action]
For example, here is a meta description for a real estate area page:
"Best homes for sale in New York. Browse our extensive listings & find your dream home today. Contact us for expert guidance and home-buying support."
Why You Should Fix Your Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are important because they provide a brief summary of what your web page is about in search engine results. This tells users what to expect, providing that final bit of key information or confidence to get them to click through to your website.
So, you should focus your efforts on writing meta descriptions that accurately reflect the content of your pages, include relevant keywords, and highlight your unique value proposition.
A confusing or misleading meta-description could decrease trust in your site, both deterring clicks in the first place, or leading to a higher bounce rate when users don't find what they expect.
Using AI To Write Meta Descriptions
Writing meta descriptions is a great use-case for AI writing tools. It's fast and repeatable, and once you learn the right prompt you can produce high-quality meta-descriptions consistently.
Remember, when prompting an AI to write your meta description for a real estate page, follow these guidelines:
- Provide context (this includes telling the chatbot that it's a marketing copywriter)
- Give examples (provide a few examples of good meta-descriptions to get it going)
- Specify tone (for example, you can ask for a meta-description that's engaging and creative)
- Give the character limit (most chatbots aren't great at counting, so be clear and give it a few tries)
- Double-check for accuracy and cliches (always double check the work of AI writing tools)
Read more about the use of AI for SEO.
Summary
In conclusion, meta descriptions are an essential tool for attracting potential clients to your real estate website and shouldn't be overlooked.
Although they don't directly influence your website's search ranking, meta descriptions play a crucial role in generating click-throughs by providing a brief, engaging and informative summary of your content.
To create an effective meta description, you need to be clear about your site's content and the value that it offers, and you should do both of these things with a concise and action-oriented style.
Why not call in the experts? Learn how Real Estate Webmasters can help your real estate SEO.
Real Estate Description SEO FAQ
Why do you need a meta description?
A meta description is important because it provides a brief summary of what a webpage is about, and appears as the snippet in search engine results. It can influence whether or not someone clicks through to your website.
How long should a meta description be?
A meta description should ideally be between 50-160 characters long, as this is the range that is most likely to be displayed in search results. It's important to keep them concise and relevant to the content of the page.
How many keywords should be in meta description?
There is no fixed rule about the number of keywords that should be included in a meta description. Focus on a few relevant keywords or phrases that accurately describe the content of the page. Including keywords is good because they can be highlighted if they match the user's search query, but overdoing them gets in the way of the purpose of meta descriptions, which is to be informative and appealing.
How do you write a meta description for real estate?
A meta description for real estate should be written in a compelling way to entice potential clients to click on the website link. It should include relevant keywords, be under 160 characters, and provide a clear value proposition to the reader.
What are meta keywords?
Meta keywords are a type of meta tag used in website code to provide information about the content of a web page to search engines. They are a list of keywords and phrases that are relevant to the content on the page. In the past, meta keywords were used by search engines to determine the topic of a page and were a significant ranking factor, but nowadays they are ignored by most search engines.
What are meta tags?
Meta tags are snippets of code that provide information about a webpage to search engines and other programs. They include metadata such as the title and description, and are used to improve search engine optimization and accessibility.