What Is a Meta Description? (And do you still need them for Your Website)

Updated June 2026 to reflect the latest thinking on meta descriptions

When someone searches for something on Google and your website pops up, they’ll see two things first: your page title and a short snippet underneath it. That snippet? It’s called a meta description, and there’s some confusion lately about whether it actually matters.

Let’s clear that up.

What is a meta description?

A meta description is a short summary (usually around 150–160 characters) that tells people what your web page is about. It's not visible on your actual website, but it's what shows up in search engine results under your page title.

Think of it like an invitation to click. If someone sees your page in search results, your meta description is what helps them decide whether to click.

Do meta descriptions help your SEO?

This is where things get a bit nuanced, so let's keep it simple.

Meta descriptions are not a ranking factor. That means writing a great one won't directly push your page higher in search results. Google has confirmed this.

But they do influence whether someone clicks on your page. And clicks matter. A well-written meta description that clearly explains what your page is about can mean the difference between someone visiting your website or scrolling straight past it.

Why does Google sometimes re-write them?

You may have noticed that Google doesn't always show the meta description you've written. It rewrites a surprising number of them.

The main reason? Most meta descriptions are written with keywords in mind rather than as an honest description of the page. Google's job is to show searchers something accurate and useful, so if your meta description reads more like a sales pitch than a summary, it'll often replace it with something pulled from your page instead.

The fix is actually simple: write your meta description for the person reading it, not for the algorithm.

How to write a good meta description

The best meta descriptions do one thing well: they tell someone exactly what they'll find if they click through

Here's what works:

✅ Describe what the page is actually about — clearly and honestly

✅ Keep it to around 150–160 characters

✅ Write it like you're explaining the page to a real person

✅ Make it specific to that page (not the same description across multiple pages)

✅ For product or service pages, include useful facts — price, what's included, who it's for

Here's what tends to backfire and not work:

❌ Stuffing in keywords, this is actually one of the main reasons Google rewrites descriptions

❌ Using it as a sales pitch ("Click here to find out more!")

❌ Writing something vague that could apply to any page on your website

❌ Copying the same description across multiple pages

Be clear, specific and write for the reader, your website is much more likely to earn a click

I’m Clare Ashbrook - an SEO strategist who helps coaches, and creative small businesses get found online.