I’ve written over 500 SEO descriptions on Medium that have helped me get more clicks and make more money.
Here is what you need to know about the Medium SEO Description:
The Medium SEO Description is the meta description for a Medium article. The meta description shows in search engine results under a meta title. A good meta description will increase an article’s click-through rate, reading time, and revenue. Keep your description between 140-156 characters.
Keep reading to learn all the juicy details about how to write the perfect SEO description.
9 Things You Need To Know About Your Medium SEO Description
I’ve consistently made $2,000 to $3,000 per month on Medium for the last few years, in part due to how I handle Medium SEO descriptions.
Here are the seven things you need to know to rock your Medium meta descriptions:
- What is a Medium SEO description?
- Where is the Medium Meta description?
- How do you add a Medium SEO description?
- What should you add in a Medium SEO description?
- What should you not add in a Medium SEO description?
- How to differientiate your Medium SEO description
- What is E.A.T. for Medium SEO?
- Does a Medium meta description even matter?
- What are some good examples of Medium SEO descriptions?
Let’s break down each one (with examples) so that you fully understand how to rank high and get more views on Medium.
What Is a Medium SEO Description?
An SEO description on Medium is a brief statement that describes the contents of an article (called a “story” on Medium).
It is typically used by search engines to display a short summary of the story.
An SEO (Search Engine Optimization) description is also called a meta description. They can also be used to improve the click-through rate (CTR) of a website by providing a more accurate and relevant description of the page.
SEO descriptions are not visible on the article itself, but they are viewable in the source code of the page.
On Medium, they are typically between 140-156 characters in length, and they should be written to accurately describe the contents of the page.
In addition, meta descriptions should be unique to each page and should use keywords that are relevant to the topic of the page.
Where Is the Medium SEO Description?
If you’re looking to improve your search engine optimization (SEO) on Medium, one of the first things you’ll need to do is add a search engine-friendly description to your stories.
To do that, you need to know where to find the SEO description on Medium.
Luckily, Medium makes it easy to do this.
Here’s a simple step-by-step guide:
- Open an individual story on Medium.
- Click the three little dots in the upper right corner of the story (next to the green Publish button).
- Click on More Settings.
- Scroll down to the SEO Description Box.
Here is a screenshot of where to find the SEO description on Medium:
Keep in mind that this description will appear in search results, so make sure it correctly portrays the content of your article. Otherwise, readers might feel manipulated.
And Google might not like it either.
How Do You Add a Meta Description on Medium?
Once you get to the SEO settings for your Medium article, you’ll want to write a short, keyword-rich description of your story.
To add a meta description, you simply:
- Type into the available “box”
- Describe your Medium article/story
- Keep your description under 156 characters for desktop viewing
- Keep your description under 120 characters for mobile viewing
Most of the time, I start my SEO description with the title of my article.
Then I write what I hope is an engaging sentence or two to motivate readers to click through to read the complete article.
Once you’ve added a description, be sure to click the Save button before exiting the story settings menu.
Otherwise, the perfect description you just wrote will be lost (trust me, it’s no fun to have to rewrite it).
By taking a few minutes to add an SEO-friendly description, you can help ensure that your stories are more likely to be found by potential readers.
Watch this short video I made that shows me adding an SEO description on Medium:
What Should You Include In Your Medium SEO Meta Description?
There are a few things you should absolutely include in your Medium meta description.
Here is a list and a short explanation of what you need to consider.
1) Hyper-Relevant Description
Your meta description should accurately reflect what’s actually in your article.
Why is this important?
First, it makes your story much more clickable. When people come across a related and enticing description, they want to read your article. Second, a hyper-relevant description boosts your ranking in search results.
Google wants to show people the most relevant and accurate results.
Finally, it’s just good practice. You want people to actually read your articles, and an accurate meta description is a good way to make sure that people know what they’ll be getting if they click on your article.
2) Hyper-Unique Description
Your SEO meta description should be 100% unique and different from any other meta description for your other articles on Medium.
The more targeted your audience is, the more likely they are to convert.
When you have multiple articles on the same topic, you want to make sure that each article is targeting a different keyword or phrase.
By tailoring each meta description to a specific keyword or phrase, you can make sure that your articles are being found by the people who are most interested in reading them.
In addition, by writing a unique and engaging meta description for each article, you can increase the click-through rate from search engine results pages.
Ultimately, a 100% unique and different meta description will help you to reach a wider and more targeted audience on Medium.
3) Keyword-Rich
Keyword-rich meta descriptions consistently rank better.
However, it’s important to strike a balance – if you stuff your keywords into your meta description, it will not only look unnatural but it will also likely be penalized by search engines.
So, aim to include one or two relevant keywords in your meta description, and make sure that the rest of the text is interesting and engaging.
With a well-crafted SEO meta description, you can help give your website the boost it needs to attract more traffic.
4) Curiosity Gap
A curiosity gap is the space between what someone knows and what they want to know.
When it comes to SEO, a curiosity gap can be used to encourage click-throughs by promising more information than what is revealed in the meta description.
For example, let’s pretend that you’ve just finished an article about the top 10 travel destinations for [Current Year].
Your meta description might tease readers with a glimpse of what’s to come: “This year, there are more amazing places to travel than ever before. From hidden gems to well-known destinations, here are the 10 places you need to add to your travel list.”
By piquing readers’ curiosity, you’re more likely to encourage them to click through to your article.
And once they’re on your site, you’ve got a chance to engage them with your content and keep them coming back for more.
5) Copywriting Formulas
The PAS (Problem, Agitate, Solution) copywriting formula is a powerful tool that can help you write an effective SEO meta description.
By using this formula, you can ensure that your description pulls readers to your site and story.
Here’s how it works: First, you identify the problem that your product or service solves.
Then, you agitate the problem by detailing the consequences of not addressing it. Finally, you offer a solution in the form of your product or service.
By using this (or another copywriting) formula, you can create an SEO meta description that is both informative and persuasive.
6) Search Intent
Connect it to the search intent for the topic or keyword.
When someone enters a search query, they have a specific intent in mind. And you need to make sure your meta description aligns with that intent.
For example, if someone searches for “pizza recipes,” they might be looking for recipe ideas.
A meta description that simply says, “Pizza place in XYZ” isn’t going to cut it. Instead, try something like “Check out our delicious pizza recipes.”
This tells the searcher that your site has what they’re looking for and increases the chances that they’ll click through to your site.
7) Differentiation
In a sea of competing content, use your meta description to show why your article is different (and better) than any other article on the topic.
Perhaps your article:
- Provides more tips (20 as opposed to 10)
- Gives more examples
- Includes a helpful beginner’s tutorial video
- Covers the topic more comprehensively
- Explains a simpler method
- Gets the reader results faster
Whatever sets your article apart, highlight it in the Medium SEO description
8) E.A.T. for SEO
If you’re serious about making the most of your SEO description, then you need to focus on E.A.T.
That’s Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness.
Here’s how to do it:
- Expertise. Demonstrating that you’re an expert on your topic will show potential customers that you know what you’re talking about. They’ll be more likely to trust your products or services if they know that you’re an expert in the field.
- Authority. Showing that you have authority on your topic will also help build trust with potential customers. If they see that you have credentials or experience with the topic, they’ll be more likely to trust your opinion.
- Trustworthiness. Finally, demonstrating trustworthiness will help convince potential customers that you’re someone they can do business with. If they see that others have positive things to say about you, they’ll be more likely to give you their business.
What Should You Not Include in Your Medium SEO Meta Description?
Here are four things you should avoid doing in your meta description:
- Lying. Misleading people in order to get them to click on your result. This may seem like a good short-term strategy, but it will ultimately hurt your reputation and cost you clicks in the long run.
- Clickbait. Don’t try to trick people into clicking on your result by promising something that your article doesn’t deliver. This will just frustrate readers and decrease the likelihood that they’ll click on your future results.
- Keyword Repetition. Repeating your keyword too many times. Stuffing your meta description with keywords will not only make it difficult to read, but it will also likely result in Google “punishing” your article by placing it lower in the search results.
- Defamation. Talking badly about other websites or competing articles. This may be tempting if you feel like you have a better article than the competition, but it ultimately reflects poorly on you and could damage your reputation.
What Are Some Examples of Good SEO Descriptions on Medium?
I learn best by looking at examples, so I thought I would share a few examples of my Medium SEO descriptions.
Example SEO Description #1
This is my SEO description for my article, “How I Use a Mental Window to Feel More Grounded and Grateful”:
How I Use a Mental Window to Feel More Grounded and Grateful| A simple analogy immediately struck me to the core. This is the window that changed me.
Example SEO Description #2
Here is another SEO description for my article, “How I Make $3,000 a Month Fixing Failing Articles”:
How I Make $3,000 a Month Fixing Failing Articles| In this article, I’ll explain my exact strategies for updating and upgrading articles. Learn more here.
Example SEO Description #3
Finally, this is a third SEO description, this one for my article, “5 Websites I Use To Outrank and Outearn My Blog Competition”:
5 Websites I Use To Outrank and Outearn My Blog Competition| These are some of my favorite online tools for running my blogging empire. Learn more here.
For even more examples, simply copy and paste the titles of my Medium articles into a Google search.
Does Your SEO Description on Medium Matter?
While I don’t know how much it helps or hurts, I always write the best Medium SEO description for every single one of my articles.
In my experience, it is part of the overall process that helps me succeed on the platform.
Therefore, I do think your SEO description on Medium matters. How much it matters, however, is up for debate.
Tools for Writing Better SEO Descriptions on Medium
There are tools that I use every time I write an SEO description on Medium.
Here are my favorite tools and what they do:
- Grammarly — Helps me write error-free meta descriptions on Medium.
- ChatGPT — Any AI tool can automatically create an optimized SEO description.
- Word Counter Extension – This is a free Chrome extension that gives you the word count of text on the screen. There is also a website if you don’t want to use the extension.
Final Thoughts: SEO Medium Description
Along with your meta description, you can also change your SEO title, tags on Medium, and other SEO-related content.
Every little bit helps your article get more views, which can make you more money.
Related Posts: