The meta description is a short descriptive text in a page’s HTML code. Google often shows it as the text excerpt beneath the title in search results. It is not visible on the page itself.
That makes the meta description a kind of small advert: it helps decide whether someone clicks on your result or on a competitor’s.
How does the meta description work?
You set it for each page individually, in WordPress for example via an SEO plugin. Google does not always use it, though: if another passage fits the search query better, Google shows that instead. These rules have proven themselves:
- around 155 characters, so nothing gets cut off
- the page’s keyword, because Google highlights search terms in the snippet in bold
- a clear benefit and a reason to click
- a separate text for every page, no copies
Why does the meta description matter?
According to Google, it plays no part in rankings themselves. It does influence the click-through rate, however – and with it, how many people from the same position on Google actually land on your page. For an online shop or a medical practice, that means more visits without a better ranking.
With ongoing SEO management, meta descriptions are not written once and forgotten but improved specifically on pages with many impressions and few clicks.
