What is a meta description?#
<meta name="description" content="Learn a practical keyword research process for 2026: intent, SERP analysis, clustering and turning keywords into a content plan.">Why it matters#
Google confirmed long ago that meta descriptions aren’t used for ranking. But the snippet is your ad copy in search results: a clear, relevant description can lift click-through rate, which means more traffic from the same ranking.
How to write one#
- Aim for roughly 140–160 characters; longer text is often truncated.
- Match search intent and include the primary keyword — Google bolds matching words.
- Promise a specific outcome and include a gentle call to action.
- Write a unique description for every important page.
- Avoid quotes and special characters that may be cut off.
Example#
Weak: “Welcome to our blog post about local SEO. Read more.”
Strong: “Rank higher in Google Maps and ‘near me’ searches. A local SEO checklist for Indian businesses: Business Profile, reviews, NAP and tracking.”
Why Google rewrites descriptions#
Google often generates its own snippet from page content when it better matches a specific query. That’s normal — especially for long-tail searches. A well-written description still gets used for your main queries. Related: title tag.