Meta description
Short snippet in the results
Meta description is the short text shown below a page’s title in search results that briefly summarizes its content. It does not directly affect ranking, but it strongly influences whether a user clicks the link. It works like an invitation that draws the visitor to your site.
What a meta description is for
The meta description is your chance to convince a user that your page will give them what they are looking for. In the results it competes with rival links and often decides which one a person clicks. A well-written description therefore directly raises the click-through rate.
Although the meta description is not a direct ranking factor, a higher share of clicks signals to the search engine that your page is relevant to the query. The engine may also rewrite the description with its own snippet from the text if it deems it a better fit.
How to write a good meta description
Be specific and capture what the visitor will find on the page. Include the main keyword, since the engine highlights a match with the query. Add a reason to click, such as a concrete benefit or a call to action.
Keep the length so the description is not cut off in the results. Every important page should have its own unique description – duplicate or empty descriptions are a wasted opportunity.
- Capture the page content and the main keyword.
- Add a clear reason to click or a call to action.
- Avoid duplicate descriptions – each page should have its own.
- Keep a reasonable length so the text is not cut off in the results.
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Does the meta description affect search ranking?
Not directly. The meta description is not a factor that determines ranking. It does influence the click-through rate, however, which can indirectly support your positions. So it is worth writing it carefully.
How long should a meta description be?
It should be long enough to capture the content, but not so long that the engine cuts it off. In practice, a concise, telling text of around one or two sentences works well.
Why does Google sometimes show a different text than I entered?
The engine may show a snippet taken directly from the page content instead of your description if it considers it more relevant to the query. A quality description still raises the chance that yours is used.