How to Write a Meta Description (With Examples)
Short answer: a good meta description is one or two plain sentences, about 120 to 160 characters, that say what the page offers and why someone should click. It does not directly raise rankings, but it can raise the share of people who click your result.
What is a meta description?
A meta description is a short summary of a page, placed in the page head as a <meta name="description"> tag. Search engines often show it under your title in results. Sometimes they rewrite it to match the search, so write it to be useful on its own.
How long should it be?
Aim for roughly 120 to 160 characters. Longer text is often cut off with an ellipsis, especially on phones. Put the key point first. You can check your length with the SERP snippet preview tool.
How to write one in five steps
- Name the topic. Start with what the page is about, in the words a visitor would search.
- Say what they get. A calculator, a step by step guide, a free download.
- Add one reason to click. Free, no sign-up, takes a minute.
- Keep it unique. Every page needs its own description. Copying one across pages tells search engines nothing.
- Read it out loud. If it sounds like a list of keywords, rewrite it.
Example
Weak: BMI, BMI calculator, body mass index, calculate BMI, free BMI.
Better: Work out your body mass index in seconds. Enter your height and weight and see your BMI and category. Free, no sign-up.
Build the tag
When your text is ready, the meta tag generator turns it into code you can paste into your page. Then add Open Graph tags so shared links look good too.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the description empty on every page.
- Stuffing keywords instead of writing a sentence.
- Promising something the page does not deliver.
- Writing more than about 160 characters.
Frequently asked questions
Does a meta description affect rankings?
Not directly. Search engines say they do not use it as a ranking signal, but a clear description can earn more clicks.
Why does Google show a different description than mine?
Search engines may pick text from the page that better matches the search. Make sure the page itself answers the question clearly.
Do I need one on every page?
Yes, where you can. Unique descriptions help each page stand on its own in results.