Unique meta description text

Is it important for Google?

[roodle]

Hi,

I'm looking at ways to optimize a site I run. I'm wondering how important having unique meta descriptions is. In this particular site typically part of the text is unique and part is common across a lot of pages, though the common element changes between different site sections.

Should I make an effort to make ALL descriptions completely unique? How important to Google is the meta description these days?

Any opinions/experiences welcome.

[jdMorgan]

> Should I make an effort to make ALL descriptions completely unique?
You should take extraordinary measures to guarantee that every important page's description is unique, accurately describes the content of that page, and is written to "sell" the page to a prospective visitor. If using a database-driven approach, a separate entry in each page's database record is justified.

> How important to Google is the meta description these days?
Very. Along with insufficient inbound links (and PR), non-unique descriptions is one of the main contributors to pages dropping into Google's Supplemental index. Lots of threads here on that subject -- worth a search and review.

Jim

[dirty_marra]

I totally agree with jdMorgan.

[Whitey]

Just to back up JDMorgan's answer to you, if you do not do this properly, your pages will not rank. Try this thread and look at the other elements of content that can effect your site also: [webmasterworld.com...]

[BigDave]

*IF* you decide to use meta descriptions, then you need to go to the effort to make them unique and descriptive. If you don't do this it can kill your ranking.

Having a meta description does little (if anything) to improve your ranking. What it does do is give you a better CTR if you write compelling copy,

So, if you can't be bothered to write a unique quality description for a page, you are MUCH better off leaving the meta description off that page.