Meta description
The description text beneath the title in Google search. 120 to 160 characters, written to earn the click. Not a direct ranking factor, but it influences click-through rate.
The meta description is the description text that appears beneath the title in Google's search results. It is not a direct ranking factor, but it has a noticeable effect on how many users actually click on your listing.
The right length
Between 120 and 160 characters. Anything over 160 gets truncated in Google's SERPs. Under 120 wastes the available space and looks incomplete. Mobile SERPs show slightly less than desktop, so put the most important arguments in the first 120 characters.
What belongs in it
First, use the main keyword once, naturally, because Google highlights it in bold in the search result. Second, a clear statement of what the user gets on the page. Third, a gentle call to action such as “find out more”, “compare prices” or “try it free”. Avoid generic phrases like “We are a leading provider”, which say nothing.
Why Google often replaces your description
In 50 to 70 percent of cases, Google replaces the meta description with a snippet it extracts automatically from the page content. This happens mainly when the description does not match the search query or is too generic. You should still provide a good description, because Google learns over time how useful it is, and you keep control wherever you can.
Anti-patterns
Duplicate descriptions across several pages. Marketing copy without concrete content. Keyword stuffing. Special characters that look like click spam. Vague teasers such as “Read more about web design here” that never say what the page actually contains.
Related terms
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