Category Description & Category Meta Description

[Moxamint]

Hi there,

I already have descriptions for most of my categories, and I'm debating whether it's worth the effort to add the category meta description.

Thanks in advance for your opinions.

Eddy

[heatherbell]

debating whether it's worth the effort to add the category meta description.

Website category page URL's can appear in SERPs and, while meta descriptions themselves do not directly impact rankings, they do influence how your page appears in SERPs. A clear and relevant meta description might encourage users to click on your link over others. If you don’t provide a meta description, search engines will generate one automatically, often by pulling text from the page that might not be what you want to show.
Meta descriptions are usually 150 to 160 characters (including spaces), which is about 25 to 30 words.
With that information, personally, we think it is data that is required to serve that purpose though whether it's worth the effort is imponderable.

[Moxamint]

Thanks @Heatherbell; then can I say if my category description is tidy and relevant already, the category meta description isn't very important?

[heatherbell]

can I say if my category description is tidy and relevant already, the category meta description isn't very important?

It might be "tidy and relevant" but given the purpose of category meta description for SERPs, is it only 25-30 words for that purpose? In other words, if your category description already fits the criteria for category meta description for SERPs (i.e. clear and relevant 25 to 30 words) then you would only be repeating the data. The importance of category meta description is, as previously described, only in relation to its use by search engines in SERPs.

However, a category description that is only 25-30 words might not be enough for 'good' content and reducing word count of category description just to avoid the data entry for category meta description could be 'shooting your own foot'. Personally, we would aim for >100 words for any non-meta descriptions to produce informative and authoritative content which is good for visitors/customers and SEO.

[Moxamint]

However, a category description that is only 25-30 words might not be enough for 'good' content and reducing word count of category description just to avoid the data entry for category meta description could be 'shooting your own foot'. Personally, we would aim for >100 words for any non-meta descriptions to produce informative and authoritative content which is good for visitors/customers and SEO.

Thanks again for the very informative reply. Much appreciated!

Cheers, Eddy