What Is a Meta Description?
A meta description is a brief webpage description you’ll be able to present for serps to show in search outcomes, so customers can higher perceive what your web page is about.
The outline is outlined within the web page’s HTML and isn’t seen to customers on the web page.
Right here’s an instance of how a meta description can seem in HTML and Google search outcomes:
The outline that seems in search outcomes known as the snippet.
Serps don’t all the time use a web page’s meta description because the snippet. When you don’t present a meta description or if Google deems your description unsuitable, Google will generate a snippet utilizing content material out of your web page.
The one exception is for those who use the nosnippet meta robots tag to specify that you just don’t need a snippet to indicate.
How Usually Does Google Use the Meta Description?
Google makes use of the supplied meta description (or a shortened model) because the search end result snippet roughly 28% of the time, in response to my analysis*.
So, Google ignores supplied meta descriptions round 72% of the time.
My discovering aligns with Google’s assertion on how snippets are decided:
Snippets are primarily created from the web page content material itself. Nonetheless, Google typically makes use of the meta description HTML component if it’d give customers a extra correct description of the web page than content material taken straight from the web page.
Google could generate totally different web page snippets for various key phrases in an effort to higher meet search intent—i.e., what the person needs.
For instance, Google shows totally different content material from this Cleveland Clinic web page relying on the precise nature of the person’s question:
*Analysis methodology: I used the Key phrase Overview software to verify the highest 10 search outcomes for 10 randomly chosen key phrases on desktop and cell (U.S. database on April 16, 2025). Then, cross-referenced the snippets towards the corresponding pages’ meta descriptions. You possibly can view the uncooked knowledge right here.
Are Meta Descriptions Vital?
Meta descriptions aren’t crucial as a result of they don’t straight have an effect on your rankings in search outcomes, and serps show meta descriptions in search outcomes solely about 28%* of the time.
You may typically discover extra necessary issues to concentrate on in SEO (search engine marketing).
Nonetheless: Meta descriptions may be necessary after they seem in search outcomes.
Excessive-quality meta descriptions which can be used for snippets can drive extra site visitors to your web site by convincing customers that your web page is the most effective end result for his or her wants. And this will result in greater rankings in future search outcomes, as a result of Google’s Navboost algorithm could promote outcomes that entice plenty of clicks.
So, writing meta descriptions may offer you an edge.
The method is mostly fast, simple, and unlikely to have unfavorable penalties.
5 Ideas for Writing Meta Descriptions
Listed here are 5 ideas for writing efficient meta descriptions:
1. Take into account Meta Description Size
To forestall the danger of Google truncating your meta description in search outcomes, I like to recommend aiming for a most meta description size of 135 characters.
My analysis* reveals the common snippet size is 146.28 characters on desktop and 135.87 characters on cell.
The precise variety of characters displayed in a snippet is determined by varied components, equivalent to:
- The person’s display screen measurement
- The width of the characters (e.g., an “m” makes use of more room than an “i”)
- Bolding (Google could daring phrases associated to the person’s question, and bolding requires more room)
2. Embrace Your Major Key phrase
Every meta description ought to embrace the web page’s major key phrase (the primary search question you need the web page to rank for) or one thing very near it.
In case your snippet doesn’t point out this phrase particularly, searchers won’t assume the web page is related.
Plus, Google usually bolds phrases that match or intently match the person’s question. This will make your end result stand out and entice extra clicks.
3. Handle Search Intent
Meta descriptions that tackle search intent (i.e., what the person needs to attain) usually tend to seem in search outcomes and generate clicks.
So, contemplate your major key phrase’s essential search intent.
For instance:
- When you’re concentrating on a query key phrase, contemplate offering an instantaneous reply within the meta description
- When you’re concentrating on a product key phrase, contemplate together with key product specs and pricing data within the meta description
Among the finest methods to grasp intent is to have a look at the snippets your major key phrase at present generates.
You possibly can view non-personalized search outcomes to your goal key phrase and placement within the Key phrase Overview software. Simply click on the “View SERP” hyperlink.
4. Use Crucial Sentences
Crucial sentences are sentences that begin with a verb and inform the reader what to do, which might make your meta descriptions extra persuasive.
For instance, Ticketmaster makes use of two crucial sentences on this meta description:
This phrasing reassures the reader that they’ll obtain their targets in your web page. And will persuade extra customers to click on the end result.
5. Take into account Utilizing AI
Many AI instruments (or instruments with AI options) can write meta descriptions for you.
For instance, the AI Writing Assistant can produce meta descriptions primarily based in your chosen creativity stage, web site identify, web site URL, and goal key phrase:
And ChatGPT can generate meta descriptions in bulk from personalized prompts:
Simply keep in mind that AI methods can hallucinate (present false data) and will not write meta descriptions in addition to a human can.
AI methods also can wrestle with counting, so they might wrestle to offer meta descriptions inside a selected size vary.
When you use AI to generate meta descriptions, verify their size and high quality earlier than including them to your web site.
Methods to Add a Meta Description to a Webpage
So as to add a meta description to a web page, it’s essential add a meta description tag to the
part of the web page’s HTML.
The meta description tag is structured like this:
Some web site editors (equivalent to Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify) allow you to add and edit meta descriptions by typing textual content into a delegated discipline.
Like this:
Typically, you’ll be able to connect a spreadsheet to replace meta descriptions in bulk.
If not, you could possibly set up a web site plugin that allows you to add and edit meta descriptions.
For instance, the Yoast search engine marketing plugin helps you to add and edit meta descriptions on WordPress websites.
Enhance Your Web site’s Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions is probably not a very powerful think about search engine marketing, however bettering your web site’s meta descriptions may help you achieve extra management over your search engine presence and generate extra site visitors.
Undecided the place to start out?
Use the Website Audit software to verify your web site for lacking and duplicate meta descriptions.
And use the On Web page search engine marketing Checker to see the place Google isn’t utilizing your supplied meta descriptions.
Then, prioritize these URLs primarily based on how a lot natural site visitors they generate.
You can too use these instruments to uncover different search engine marketing suggestions which will have a larger influence than including new meta descriptions.
