Meta Description
Page description in HTML, shown under the link in SERP. Optimal length 140-160 characters.
Full definition
Meta Description is an HTML attribute of a page, a 1-2 sentence content summary. Shown below Title in SERP.
Doesn't directly affect rankings — Google confirmed this publicly in 2009. But affects CTR, which indirectly impacts rankings.
Syntax
<meta name="description" content="Free SEO audit in 1–2 days: we'll check Core Web Vitals, indexation, content, and competitors. No prepayment, report via Telegram.">Optimal parameters
- •Length: 140-160 characters (desktop), 110-130 for mobile
- •Uniqueness — every page with its own description
- •Call-to-action — "Order", "Get", "Learn"
- •Key phrase — present, but without stuffing
- •USP/benefit — "free", "in 24 hours", "no prepayment"
Why Google often rewrites descriptions
- •In 70% of cases Google generates its own description, pulling a content fragment most relevant to the specific query. Pros and cons:
- •✅ Plus — relevance per query
- •❌ Minus — loses CTR-optimized phrasing
How to "convince" Google to use your description
- •Make it relevant to the page's main query
- •No keyword stuffing
- •Clear structure: problem → solution → benefit
Top mistakes
1. No description — Google grabs a random fragment (often sounds bad) 2. Same description across multiple pages = "duplicate description" in GSC 3. Keyword list — ignored by Google 4. Longer than 160 chars — truncated with ellipsis
Check
GSC → Performance → CTR per page. If CTR below benchmark — rewrite description.