Meta Description
An HTML element that provides a brief summary of a web page's content, displayed in search results.
A meta description is an HTML meta tag that provides a concise summary of a web page's content. While not a direct ranking factor, it appears in search results below the title tag and can significantly impact click-through rates.
Meta descriptions should typically be between 150-160 characters to avoid truncation in search results. They should accurately describe the page content, include relevant keywords naturally, provide a compelling reason to click, and include a call to action when appropriate.
Google doesn't always use your meta description in search results. If Google determines that content from your page better matches the search query, it may dynamically generate a snippet from your page content. This is why it's important to have well-structured, descriptive content throughout your pages.
Best practices for meta descriptions include writing unique descriptions for each page, avoiding duplicate descriptions across your site, making them compelling and action-oriented, and including your target keywords naturally. Well-crafted meta descriptions can significantly improve your CTR from search results.