This week, one of my websites was showing a description in Google that I had no idea where it came from. It wasn’t using the meta description or any of the text on my site. After exploring the issue I learned that it was pulling the data from the open directory project (ODP). I was wanting to use my meta description on Google instead and finally figured out how to block Google from using the ODP description.
It’s simple actually. Just a small meta code to place on your site and it should change for you once Google recrawls your site.
Here is the tag to block all search engines that use this tag from using the description:
<META NAME=”ROBOTS” CONTENT=”NOODP”>
Here is the tag to block just Google from using the description.
<META NAME=”GOOGLEBOT” CONTENT=”NOODP”>
Apparently Google has been letting you block this content for over a year. Yeah, I know, I’m a little slow sometimes.
