Already #1 for keyword on SERP...will I lose my ranking if I change meta title/descri

[Sandara]

it depends on the overall quality of the site, if it has strong presence and is well indexed and PR is good...these changes on meta description wont hurt rankings

[deepsand]

it depends on the overall quality of the site, if it has strong presence and is well indexed and PR is good...these changes on meta description wont hurt rankings

How can one be certain?

And, given that the only possible movement would be downward, what benefit from finding out that there's no change in SERP Rank?

[mjtaylor]

How can one be certain?

And, given that the only possible movement would be downward, what benefit from finding out that there's no change in SERP Rank?

Through testing?

I would venture that the advantages of improved click through rates and conversions would be worth the experiment.

[deepsand]

Through testing?

Absence of evidence as evidence of absence fallacy.

A negative cannot logically be directly proven. Such can only be indirectly proven, by way of disproving the possibility of a hypothetical positive that disallows of the negative being true.

I would venture that the advantages of improved click through rates and conversions would be worth the experiment.

Already noted, with suggestion that PPC might be the safer way to test such.

[mjtaylor]

How does PPC test whether changing a description is helpful or harmful?

[deepsand]

How does PPC test whether changing a description is helpful or harmful?

It tests the viability of the marketing effort without jeopardizing the already attained SERP Rank.

[mjtaylor]

It tests the viability of the marketing effort without jeopardizing the already attained SERP Rank.

But I thought the OP was asking about the effect of changing the meta description ...

[deepsand]

The underlying matter of import is why such change is being contemplated; i.e., the core issue is the desired goal.

The wording of the suggested meta description implies an attempt at changing said element from being descriptive of the products offered to that of a marketing message regarding service characteristics.

It cannot be said, without testing, whether or not such approach will work.

Since such can be tested without risk to the current SERP Rank, I see no good reason for assuming that changing the meta description is risk free.

[C0ldf1re]

... Since such can be tested without risk to the current SERP Rank, I see no good reason for assuming that changing the meta description is risk free.

Exactly. You TEST things on TEST DATA, not on live data. (or, at least, that is the theory.)

[CourtneyBartholomew]

I was afraid to change some of my meta descriptions for the same reasons, but I felt I need to in order to move higher, even though I knew I could drop down for a while. That did happen for just a few days and then I popped back up to where I was, so nothing lost. Still not sure if I gained anything in google's eyse but the description is better for getting clicks and that's what really counts.