What is a Meta Description?
A meta description is an HTML attribute that provides a brief, relevant summary of a webpage's content. It can appear below the page title in social media networks and search engine results pages (SERPs).
Here’s how it looks in the HTML code of a page:
<meta name="description" content="Content Explorer helps copywriters and content marketers find the most shared and ‘linked-to’ content. Explore the best ideas for your new content.">
Google interprets the meta description tag as a summary of the page’s contents and may use it to understand better what the page is about. However, Google doesn't always display the hardcoded description; instead, it shows it only about 37% of the time.
Here’s how Google puts it:
"Google will sometimes use the
<meta name=“description”>tag from a page to generate a snippet in search results if we think it gives users a more accurate description than would be possible purely from the on-page content."
The meta description can also be displayed when a link is shared on social media, in lieu of a network-specific description like og:description.
Why is a Meta Description Important?
A meta description is crucial because it provides search engines with context about the page, helping them rank it for relevant search queries. When the meta description is displayed in the SERP, it can improve the click-through rate (CTR) by helping users understand more about the page's contents before clicking.
The meta description is also used when a link is shared on social media, helping users understand what the page is about.
SEO Best Practices for Meta Descriptions
1. Ensure Every Page Has a Description
Because the meta description provides context about your webpage to search engines and users, it’s best practice to have one for every page. Tools like Ranktracker Site Audit can help you check and monitor that each of your pages has a meta description.
2. Match the Search Intent
When trying to rank for a keyword, write content that matches the search intent. The same rule applies to writing your meta descriptions; ensure it aligns with what users are looking for to increase the chances of them clicking through to your site. Search for your keyword and analyze the SERP to write a meta description based on what Google shows in the snippets.
3. Keep It Short
If your meta description is too long, Google will likely truncate or rewrite it, potentially leaving out crucial information. The optimal meta description length is 160 characters (120 for mobile).
4. Focus on Quality
Meta descriptions are important for user experience and SEO. Avoid clickbait or keyword-stuffed descriptions, as they are less likely to appear in snippets than those providing context and matching the user’s search intent. Ensure each description for your website is unique as well.
Refer to these best practices for creating quality meta descriptions from Google.
FAQs
What is the Optimal Meta Description Length?
For SERP snippets, the optimal meta description length is 160 characters max for desktop and 120 for mobile.
How Often Does Google Rewrite Meta Descriptions?
We analyzed hardcoded meta descriptions with the actual Google desktop snippets for 20,000 keywords and found that Google rewrites hardcoded meta descriptions 63% of the time.
