META Description Not Showing Up On Google

[g3mmab]

Hi, I have noticed recently that for my highest ranking keyword on Google United Kingdom, the meta description (that has not changed for several months and always used to be displayed when someone searched for this keyword) now only shows the first couple of words. Also, instead of the rest of the Meta Description there is a list of items that I offer for sale all squashed together with their individual prices. I am the only company on page one of Google who's impression looks like this and I think it looks really unprofessional. Why has this happened and how do I change it?

Any help is much appreciated

[ChrisDyson]

When did you change your meta description was it in the last few days?

Have you tried to add this:

<metaname="robots" content="noodp,noydir">Without looking at the site, I couldn't tell you what's causing the problem but Google could be pulling info from the open directory, this tag will force Google and Yahoo to use the description you give them</metaname="robots">

Google do not always show the meta description. If they feel a more meaningful snippet can be had from the content, it will take something from there. If you have little or no content (say just images) then Google does not have much to show.

[g3mmab]

Hi. Thanks for the quick response. I have never changed the meta description and Google has always shown this, up until the last few weeks. It is a good keyword-full paragraph that has worked well. If you want to look at the site it is www.simonsaysdressup.co.uk. The category I am refering to is 'Burlesque Wardrobe' and the highest ranking keywords for this category is 'burlesque clothing' and 'burlesque outfits'.

Thanks so much for your help

[KeriMorgret]

Hi! I'm guessing that you're seeing Google deploying some listing rich snippets for your meta description. Take a look at http://www.seroundtable.com/google-real-estate-snippets-13928.html and http://insidesearch.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-snippets-for-list-pages.html for a little more information about what may be happening. Does that help explain things at all?

[DougRoberts]

Looks like Google is creating an ecommerce related snipped. Your site isn't the only one that it's happening on. I can't see any particular mark-up in the html so I'm guessing Google is doing something cleaver as part of it's snippets for list pages. A search for other product pages of yours reveals snippets rendered the same way.

I don't think <metaname="robots" content="noodp,noydir">is going to work.</metaname="robots">

See: Inside Search: New snippets for list pages

[g3mmab]

Yes, thanks, I have just read through those two posts and it makes sense to me now as to why it is happening. I have to say I don't like it, it looks messy and amateur in my opinion, especially as I have spent so long learning about meta descriptions and how to apply them successfully etc My only question is that Google's post was dated August last year where they state that they were 'rolling it out globally'. So should I expect my competitors' sites to appear the same in the near future? (their sites are similar to mine) As at the moment, my website is the only one displaying these 'lists' for my most popular keywords.

Many thanks for your help

[g3mmab]

Yes, thanks Doug, makes sense now I have read up on Snippets.

[DougRoberts]

I noticed one competing page from Pandora's Choice.com was displaying the same format snippet. You're not the only one.

[lonniea]

If you visit your Google Webmaster account, you can instruct Google not to display your links like that on your search result page.

The content="noodp,noydir" syntax is to prevent other Directories from displaying (or cache) different meta descriptions about your site.