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to them.Since starting <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-springboard-4ec26fc14e82">E³ — Entertain Enlighten Empower</a> I have been editing articles for the publication. I check submissions for their SEO description. Unsurprisingly, few writers pay attention to this — and I know why.It’s complicated.At first.Then you get the hang of it. And two minutes later you are amending your SEO description like you have done it all your life. It’s as easy as blowing your nose. It’s as easy as boiling a kettle. It’s as easy as Warren Beatty.<h2 id="9c3b">SEO Description</h2>The SEO Description is used in place of your Subtitle on search engine results pages.Your SEO description is commonly known as a <a href="https://moz.com/learn/seo/meta-description#:~:text=A%20meta%20description%20is%20an,relates%20to%20their%20search%20query.">Meta description</a>, which is a brief summary of a web page. This is like a mini advert for your article — get it right and you will attract more people to read it.On Medium, the first 194 characters of your article (including spaces) automatically populate your SEO description.Click the ellipsis (three dots) next to the ‘Publish’ button.…At the bottom of the drop-down box is ‘More settings’ (click that).See how easy this is?On the left-hand side, you have your ‘Story Settings’.Halfway down is your ‘SEO Settings’ (click that).For this article, my SEO is filled in with —“I can’t remember who told me to fiddle about with my SEO description on my articles — it’s been a while. But I studiously tinker with it before I publish any article. But why take the chance of…”Remember, your SEO description is essential for attracting more people to your article. It doesn’t matter if these people are non-pa

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ying members of Medium — they might like what they read, clap, comment, or join Medium and become a fan of your work.The best practices for creating good SEO descriptions are a lot like those for writing splendid titles and subtitles.<ul><li>Use <a href="https://www.wordstream.com/keyword-research">keywords</a>.</li><li>Make your SEO relevant to your content.</li><li>Create good copy that compels people to read your article.</li></ul>For this article, I changed my SEO description to —“Learn how to attract more readers. This is why you need to amend your SEO description if you want better engagement on your Medium articles.”Make sure your SEO description isn’t too long. Good SEO descriptions use keywords, summarise the story, and are between 140–156 characters long.Anything less than 140 characters is a wasted opportunity. Anything over 156 characters won’t appear in the SEO description.Don’t use special characters like & or £ in your SEO description as Google cuts off the rest of the description.That’s it.I know every writer for <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-springboard-4ec26fc14e82">E³ — Entertain Enlighten Empower</a> is going to read this, adopt the advice and fiddle with their SEO description before submission.As a result, their stats will increase, and their earnings will shoot through the roof. They will think I am wonderful for explaining this. And they, in turn, will save me a load of time and effort.I will no longer have to point this out on a private note.<figure id="7397"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*h9IEOeMiUs-d2i_J"><figcaption>Giphy</figcaption></figure>All the best.<h2 id="e140">Malky McEwan</h2><figure id="5b1b"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/0*vyK7SpvsXzK25Yjz"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></article></body>

Amend Your Medium SEO Description For Better Engagement

It is important if you want more reads on your Medium story

I can’t remember who told me to fiddle about with the SEO description on my articles — it’s been a while. But I studiously tinker with it before I publish any article.

Does it matter?

Maybe’s aye. Maybe’s naw.

But why take the chance of leaving it as it is and missing out on better engagement or introducing someone new to Medium?

Let me explain.

The title of this article is —

Amend Your Medium SEO Description For Better Engagement

Once I publish, this title becomes my Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) title. It is what they use on search engine results pages, such as a Google search.

The problem is SEO titles with over 60 characters are truncated.

“Amend Your Medium SEO Description For Better Engagement” has exactly 60 characters (this includes the spaces) so this is the title people will see on Google. Other search engines are available.

SEO titles between 40 and 50 characters with commonly searched words have the best click-through rates.

The social media savvy pay attention to their SEO.

They want to get as many eyes as possible on their creations, whether that be articles on Medium, videos on YouTube or some obscure fetish their followers are into on OnlyFans.

Those savvy people will follow internet trends and develop content around what is going viral at the moment. Good luck to them.

Since starting E³ — Entertain Enlighten Empower I have been editing articles for the publication. I check submissions for their SEO description. Unsurprisingly, few writers pay attention to this — and I know why.

It’s complicated.

At first.

Then you get the hang of it. And two minutes later you are amending your SEO description like you have done it all your life. It’s as easy as blowing your nose. It’s as easy as boiling a kettle. It’s as easy as Warren Beatty.

SEO Description

The SEO Description is used in place of your Subtitle on search engine results pages.

Your SEO description is commonly known as a Meta description, which is a brief summary of a web page. This is like a mini advert for your article — get it right and you will attract more people to read it.

On Medium, the first 194 characters of your article (including spaces) automatically populate your SEO description.

Click the ellipsis (three dots) next to the ‘Publish’ button.

…

At the bottom of the drop-down box is ‘More settings’ (click that).

See how easy this is?

On the left-hand side, you have your ‘Story Settings’.

Halfway down is your ‘SEO Settings’ (click that).

For this article, my SEO is filled in with —

“I can’t remember who told me to fiddle about with my SEO description on my articles — it’s been a while. But I studiously tinker with it before I publish any article. But why take the chance of…”

Remember, your SEO description is essential for attracting more people to your article. It doesn’t matter if these people are non-paying members of Medium — they might like what they read, clap, comment, or join Medium and become a fan of your work.

The best practices for creating good SEO descriptions are a lot like those for writing splendid titles and subtitles.

Use keywords.
Make your SEO relevant to your content.
Create good copy that compels people to read your article.

For this article, I changed my SEO description to —

“Learn how to attract more readers. This is why you need to amend your SEO description if you want better engagement on your Medium articles.”

Make sure your SEO description isn’t too long. Good SEO descriptions use keywords, summarise the story, and are between 140–156 characters long.

Anything less than 140 characters is a wasted opportunity. Anything over 156 characters won’t appear in the SEO description.

Don’t use special characters like & or £ in your SEO description as Google cuts off the rest of the description.

That’s it.

I know every writer for E³ — Entertain Enlighten Empower is going to read this, adopt the advice and fiddle with their SEO description before submission.

As a result, their stats will increase, and their earnings will shoot through the roof. They will think I am wonderful for explaining this. And they, in turn, will save me a load of time and effort.

I will no longer have to point this out on a private note.

All the best.

Malky McEwan