The summary should expand on the title so users can be sure they have found the content they want.
The summary may be the same as the teaser.
Keep summaries brief. Aim for 160 characters or less so that search engines show the complete text.
Summaries should:
- use language that our users will understand
- provide information not already provided by the title
- be unique
- end with a full stop
Avoid using unnecessary introductions, for example:
- this publication is about
- the purpose of this guidance is
Use active language such as:
- how to
- when to
- apply for
- what to do
For example:
Title: Audiology framework 2017 to 2020
Summary: How we will provide care and support for people who are deaf or living with hearing loss.
Ensure summaries make sense out of context and without the title. For example do not use ‘find out if you are eligible and apply for a grant’. Make this more specific 'find out if you are eligible and apply for a grant to plant trees on farmland'.
Use keyword tools such as Google Trends to find the language that users are searching for.
Use plain English to write your summary so that users understand what the content is about. Summaries must not be ‘very hard to read’ (marked in red) in Hemingway Editor. Do not paste sensitive unpublished information into Hemingway, it is a security risk. Use the Flesch-Kincaid reading level tool (on Microsoft) instead.