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What does 'Multiple Meta Description Tags' mean in Site Audit?

Multiple Meta Description Tags

Description

The page contains more than one meta description tag, which can confuse search engines.

How to Fix

Keep only one meta description tag on the page. Remove any duplicate meta description tags and ensure the remaining one accurately describes the page content in 150-160 characters.

Detailed Analysis

  1. What Causes This Issue:

The issue of multiple meta description tags typically arises due to errors in the HTML markup of a webpage. This might occur during:

  • CMS or Plugin Malfunctions: Content management systems (CMS) or SEO plugins sometimes mistakenly generate multiple meta description tags, especially if they are misconfigured or if there are conflicts between multiple plugins.
  • Manual Mistakes: Developers or content editors might accidentally insert multiple meta description tags when editing the HTML directly.
  • Template Errors: Issues in the templates used for creating web pages can lead to repeated insertion of meta description tags if the templates are not properly coded.
  • Merging Content Sources: When content from different sources is combined, each with its own meta description, it can lead to duplication.
  1. Why It's Important:
  • Search Engine Confusion: Search engines like Google use the meta description as a snippet in search results. Multiple tags can confuse search engines, potentially leading them to ignore the descriptions altogether.
  • Impact on Click-Through Rates (CTR): A well-crafted meta description can significantly influence CTR from search results. If search engines choose not to display a meta description due to multiple tags, it might default to other text from the page that may not be as compelling.
  • Diluted SEO Effectiveness: The presence of multiple tags can dilute the impact of each tag, as search engines may not give any weight to them if they cannot determine which one to use.
  1. Best Practices to Prevent It:
  • Use a Single Meta Description Tag: Ensure that each page has only one meta description tag. This can be done by regularly auditing the HTML markup.
  • Check CMS and Plugins: Make sure your CMS and any SEO plugins are correctly configured and updated to prevent them from adding extra tags.
  • Template Review: Regularly review and update page templates to ensure they only include one meta description tag.
  • Regular Audits: Conduct periodic site audits using SEO tools to detect and fix any duplicate meta description issues.
  1. Examples of Good and Bad Cases:

  • Bad Case:

    <head>
    <meta name="description" content="This is the first description.">
    <meta name="description" content="This is the second description.">
</head>

    In this bad example, there are two meta description tags, which can lead to search engines ignoring both or not knowing which one to use.

  • Good Case:

    <head>
    <meta name="description" content="This is a concise and compelling description that accurately summarises the page content.">
</head>

    This good example shows a single, well-crafted meta description tag, ensuring clarity for search engines and improving the likelihood of it being used in search results.

By following these best practices, webmasters can avoid the pitfalls of multiple meta description tags, ensuring their pages are correctly interpreted by search engines and displayed optimally in search results.

Updated about 6 hours ago