Content Insights Blog

During recent interviews for Phase 2 of our Content & Credibility Study, we have been asking people what web content they find credible and why. As part of that process, I have observed many people’s opinions of search results listings and what makes a result click-worthy. It’s made me think about the importance of a certain content element – the meta description. During our testing, I’ve seen just how important this information is in the decision-making process as users scan search results.

What Is a Meta Description?

The all-important search results listing, or “snippet” in Google speak, is made up of roughly 155 characters of descriptive text that tells users what content is on a page and how it meets their search query. The information displayed in the results listing is created to best match the user’s search terms and can be pulled from a variety of sources, including the meta description. (Other sources could be the Open Directory Project or content from the page itself.) Here's an example of a search result for Content Science. The meta description is displayed under the URL and file format information.   Read More >

Congratulations, you've launched a new approach to content. You took the time to conduct analysis, form a strategy, and plan the right implementation. Now what? You need to keep your approach to content going. Make it sustainable and repeatable, in other words. How do you do that? By putting a system of governance in place.

Get a Glimpse into Content Governance

Governance of web content is a system of  Read More >

Planning an innovative or effective digital experience today usually demands research and analysis. But, how do you figure out which methods to use? A new book, Universal Methods of Design: 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions, has the answer. One of the book's authors, Bella Martin (pictured right), recently took time away from her work at Delta to answer some of my questions about this handy resource.

Tell us, why did you decide to put together a book showcasing design research methods?  Read More >

By now you’ve heard of Pinterest, the virtual pinboard that lets you share and organize images on the web. You may also have read various articles on Pinterest’s policies that have recently come under fire and prompted the company to rewrite their Terms & Privacy statement. (It goes into effect April 6, 2012.)

There’s still a great many unknowns about Pinterest’s value to individuals, companies, and industries. One area that is largely unaddressed is the process of ensuring your website is pinnable, meaning: your is site chocked full of images or video that can be detected and bookmarked on Pinterest.com.   Read More >

Over the past week, we've shared the main plot line from our study's first report. People are turning constantly to web content for help with everything from understanding a health condition to picking out shoes. (I admit, sometimes, shoes are a life-and-death decision.) But, people feel they can't count on that web content. It's a tale of great—but so far disappointed—expectations. (Need a recap? Get the highlights here.)

As with any worthwhile narrative, subplots weave and weave again. It's no different with this report. These tales just happen to be told in numbers, a language vital to science, technology, and business. While I can't share the numbers with you here (my team and I worked too hard for me to give them away), I can give you a glimpse into the stories they tell:  Read More >