Meta description
A meta description is a short description of a web page in the code, which Google often shows under the title in the search results. A good description brings in more clicks.
- 3 min read
What is a meta description?
A meta description is a piece of text in the head of your page that describes what the page is about. Visitors do not see it on the page itself, but they do in Google: it is often the grey text under the blue title in the search results.
You write one per page. In WordPress you usually do that via an SEO plugin, in a field below the page. On desktop Google shows roughly 150 to 160 characters, on mobile sometimes slightly more. Anything longer is cut off with dots.
Google does not always use your text. If it thinks a different part of the page fits the search better, it shows that instead of your description. Even so, a good meta description is the best way to influence what people see.
Why it matters for your business
The meta description is not a ranking factor. It does not make you score higher. What the text does do is determine how many people click once you are in view. And that click is what it is all about.
Say someone searches for “dakgoot vervangen Utrecht” and sees four roofers. Three have a generic text such as “Welcome to our website. We are a roofing company with years of experience.” One says exactly what the searcher wants to know: that you replace gutters in Utrecht and the surrounding area, that you can come by within a few days and how to request a quote. That last one gets the click.
With more clicks from the same position you get more visitors, and so more enquiries, out of your existing visibility. That is becoming more and more important now that some searches are already answered in Google itself. See also zero-click search.
How it works
Google takes the meta description from the code of the page and puts it under the title. Words that match the search are sometimes shown in bold, which makes the text stand out more. That is why it helps to work the main keyword into it naturally.
A good meta description does three things. The text confirms that the page is about what someone searched for. It gives a reason to choose you in particular. And it says what the next step is.
An example. Say an installer has a page about having a home battery fitted. The old meta description was filled automatically with the first sentence of the page: “In these times energy is an important topic for many households and businesses in the Netherlands.” That says nothing about what the installer does.
The new text reads: “Home battery installation in the Nijmegen region? We advise, install and connect the battery to your solar panels. Request no-obligation advice.” Now the searcher immediately sees the topic, the region, what the business does and what the next step is.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is not filling in a meta description. Then Google picks a piece of text itself, and that is often a random sentence from a menu or a cookie notice.
A second mistake is the same text on every page. If all your service pages have the same description, none of them makes clear why that page is the right one.
Also often seen: a text full of keywords, such as “roofer Utrecht, roofer Amersfoort, roof repair, roof leak, gutter”. That does not read well and puts people off rather than persuades them.
Finally, many texts are too long, so the most important part disappears behind the dots. Put the core first.
How to approach it
Start with your most important pages: the homepage and the pages for your core services. Write a meta description of its own for each page, of roughly 140 to 158 characters.
Begin with the topic and the region, the way someone would search for it. Add a concrete benefit, something that is true and that your customer cares about. End with an action, such as requesting a quote or calling. Write in a direct, informal tone, the way you would talk to a customer.
Check in Google Search Console which pages have many impressions but few clicks. That is where a better meta description often brings the most. Adjust the text and see after a few weeks whether the number of clicks rises.
Writing for search engines and for people at the same time is a skill of its own. We include it in Writing SEO copy, so every page has a title and description that bring in clicks.
Frequently asked questions
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How long can a meta description be?
Aim for roughly 140 to 158 characters. On desktop Google shows around 155 characters and cuts off longer texts. So put the most important information in the first part.
Why does Google show a different text than my meta description?
Google sometimes picks a different part of your page if it thinks that matches the search better. That happens more often if your meta description is generic or does not fit what is being searched for. A specific text that summarises the topic of the page well is used more often.
Does a meta description help you rank higher?
No, the meta description is not a ranking factor. The text does influence how many people click your result. More clicks from the same position means more visitors and more chance of enquiries.
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