Meta Description

The meta descriptionThe meta description is an HTML element in the page that briefly summarises the page's content. Google can display it as the description in the search result.Open glossary entry → sits as <meta name="description"> in the page head and is normally invisible to visitors. In the search result it can appear under the title, acting like a small advert that invites the click.

It is not a direct ranking factor, but it influences the click-through rateThe click-through rate (CTR) indicates how many users click a search result relative to the number of times it is shown (impressions). It reflects how appealing a listing appears in search.Open glossary entry →. Guidance:

• aim for roughly 120 to 160 characters, with no fixed Google limit,
• put the key message in the first 100 to 120 characters,
• give every important page its own description,
• mention the main keywordA keyword is the search term users enter into a search engine to find information, products or providers. Keywords are the basis against which rankings and visibility are measured.Open glossary entry → early and show a concrete benefit.

Google does not always use the supplied description: if a snippetA snippet is the compact display of a result in the search results, usually made up of a title, URL and description. It is what users see before clicking.Open glossary entry → from the page content fits the query better, or the description is too generic or duplicated, Google generates its own snippet. Studies show Google frequently rewrites meta descriptions.