html · level 3 · unit 4 · lesson 2
- meet it
- guess first
- your turn
- fix it
- nailed it
Tap a green word if you get lost.
meet it
The writes your in search results.
Under each link in search results sits a snippet: a couple of lines saying what the page offers. If you say nothing, the search engine grabs whatever text it likes from the page, often something unhelpful.
Write your own with a meta description: <meta name="description" content="...">. Use one or two sentences, around 150 characters, that tell people exactly what they will get.
Every page needs a different one. It does not move you up the results, but a clear snippet wins far more clicks.
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>Cheese and onion scones | Bake Street</title>
<meta name="description" content="Golden cheese and onion scones in 25 minutes, with a step-by-step video and tips for a perfect rise.">
</head>
<body>
<h1>Cheese and onion scones</h1>
</body>
</html>Press show my page to see it here.
Search engines sometimes still write their own snippet, but a good description is the one they choose most often.
guess first
Where will this description appear?
Guess before you run it. Wrong guesses are how you learn, and nothing is marked.
<head>
<title>Wag and Walk | Dog walking in Bristol</title>
<meta name="description" content="Friendly dog walks in Bristol, from 30 minutes to all day. Fully insured, with photos after every walk.">
</head>
<body>
<h1>Wag and Walk</h1>
</body>your turn
Your turn. Write a snippet.
Write a meta description for this café on line 6: one or two full sentences, between 50 and 160 characters, that make people want to visit.
Press show my page to see it here.
- the description is 50 to 160 charactersnot checked yet
- it ends like a full sentencenot checked yet
fix it
The description shows on the page. Can you fix it?
Press show my page to see it here.
- the description is in
contentnot checked yet - only the heading shows on the pagenot checked yet
<meta>is an empty element. Where can its words go, if not between tags?- The words belong in a
contentattribute, inside the opening tag. - Write
<meta name="description" content="Fresh sourdough, rye and buns, baked every morning in York.">and delete</meta>.
nailed it
your snippet sells the page. :D
- The meta description becomes the snippet in results.
- Use one or two sentences, around 150 characters.
- Write a different one for every page.
new words in your collection
- snippet
- meta description
This lesson isn’t saved. A free account remembers every lesson you finish.