Meta description
search result descriptionA meta description is the description text defined in a page’s HTML that Google shows under the title in search results. It does not affect rankings directly, but it often decides whether your result is the one clicked.
Good to know
The meta description is ad copy for free search visibility: its job is to earn the click by promising an answer to the query. A good one contains the searched term, a concrete benefit and fits in roughly 150–160 characters so Google does not truncate it.
Google rewrites the description in about half of cases, when it judges a passage from the page text matches the query better. That is normal, not an error; a written description is still worth crafting for every important page.
IN PRACTICE
The formula for a good meta description
Answer the query immediately
Start with what the searcher gets: "SEO in Finland typically costs 1,500–4,000 €/month." Searched term first, because Google bolds it.
Give a reason to click
Concreteness beats generality: a number, an example or a promised table separates your result from ten similar ones.
Stay within the limit
About 150–160 characters on desktop, fewer on mobile. The key point in the first hundred characters, because the rest may be cut.
PITFALLS
Two ways to waste the description
The same description on every page
A duplicated description tells the searcher nothing about the page, and Google replaces it with a random text fragment.
The description is a keyword list
Comma-separated terms promise the searcher nothing. A full sentence answering the query always beats a list.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Frequently asked questions
Does the meta description affect rankings?+
Not directly, but a better description lifts click-through rate, and searcher behaviour affects visibility indirectly.
Why does Google show different text than I wrote?+
Google swaps in the page’s own text when it judges it matches the query better. This is common and not a sign of an error.
Does every page need its own description?+
Important pages, yes: the front page, services, top articles. For hundreds of archive pages an automatically formed one is fine.
What is the right length for a meta description?+
Roughly 150–160 characters. Longer is not an error, but Google cuts the overflow with an ellipsis.
Does AI write good meta descriptions?+
For bulk pages yes, as long as each is checked against the formula: searched term, concrete benefit, right length. Top pages deserve hand-polished ones.
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Maintained by the VSCY editorial team · Updated 6 Aug 2026 · Part of the marketing glossary (99 terms)
