How to create search description for your Blogger post

Blogger has recently introduced new functionality to its software for blogging.  Within the new template there is now a new option to include a meta description for the blog AND each individual blog post.

The meta description for your Blogger post says what your blog or post is about - but doesn't appear on your blog.  However it does appear in the listing for the post in a search engine index.

How to create the right meta description in blogger

There are two stages to this.

1. The first stage only needs to be done once as it enables the description functionality and sets a description for the blog.  
2. The second stage relates to the description of the blog post and needs to be done for every individual post you want to describe.

Stage 1: Enable the meta description functionality in Blogger

• view the dashboard of your Blogger blog
• Go to "Settings"
• Click "search preferences"
• Find "Meta Tags".  This should indicate the default option - ie the description is disabled.
• Click "edit" button re. "Description"
• Click "Yes" button to enable search description functionality

Create a meta description for your blog in l50 characters or less.  (Use Letter Count - set to the character option if you want to check.) This is the description which will appear on your home page - see example below.

• Click 'save changes' button

Stage 2: Create a search description in Blogger

• view your dashboard for your Blogger blog
• Go to "posts"
• EITHER create a new post OR select a post to edit
• View the Post Settings on the right hand side of the edit view.  This includes 'Search description' (as illustrated on the right) - but only if you have acted on Stage 1 above.  Otherwise the setting is missing.
• Click on 'Search Description' and a window box appears
• Enter a brief and accurate (meta) description of the post in the window.  This will be the text used in a search engine listing.
• Try and make sure you use 150 characters of plain text or less (recommended by most reputable sources).  
• click done