Google has recently confirmed that they have made changes to the way in which snippets show in their search results in order to provide search engine users with more descriptive information.
Snippets is a term that refers to the description of a page/website shown underneath the URL’s in organic search results, showing users how the individual pages/websites relate to their queries. This is anticipated to enable users to more quickly find exactly what they are looking for, without having to visit a number of irrelevant websites first.
The new Google snippets are slightly longer than before, which has come as great news to Google search users but also companies trying to catch the most relevant website visitors. The snippet length has been increased from 160 characters to an average of almost 230 characters.
What does this mean for websites and SEOs?
As the recent news regarding snippet search length came to light, many SEOs and webmasters straight away believed that they should update their meta descriptions however, this is not something that Google has recommended. Google snippets are more often than not dynamically generated based on users search queries and content found both in pages meta descriptions and the content visible on pages. If Google decides to go with a longer snippet, it is likely going to pull content from the pages. We all just have to sit back and see what happens before making any hasty and possibly detrimental decisions.
At a later date it could be best practice to increase meta descriptions to contain even more useful information but it is too early to tell, especially for those whom are already receiving high amounts of traffic thanks to their SEO efforts.
Need more information?
Anyone requiring any further information regarding the snippet update, or any other Google updates, can call our team on 01282 452096, where they will be provided with leading advice and guidance.
