SEO glossary · M

Meta Descriptions

What is a Meta Description?

A meta description is an HTML tag that summarizes what a page is about. Search engines may show it as the snippet of text under the page’s title in search results, so its main job is to persuade people to click.

What it looks like

<meta name="description" content="Plain-English definitions of 300+ SEO terms.">

Does it affect rankings?

No. Google doesn’t use the meta description as a ranking factor, but it can change how many people click on your result. Google also often writes its own snippet from the page’s text when that fits the search better.

How to write a good meta description

  • Describe the page accurately and give a reason to click.
  • Aim for roughly 120 to 155 characters; longer text is usually cut off.
  • Write a unique description for each important page.
  • Include the main keyword naturally; Google bolds words that match the search.

Our free online text editor shows the length of your title and meta description as you write.

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