Meta Description.

The meta description is a short descriptive text that appears in a page’s code but isn’t visible on the page itself. Google may display it as a text snippet below the title in search results. This matters for your business because this snippet helps determine whether someone clicks on your result or the next one. Nevertheless, it’s often overlooked: In our Cologne-based trades website report, the meta description was missing from 36.1% of the 734 websites analyzed.

How the Meta Description Works

Google decides on its own what text appears below your title. According to Google, snippets are primarily generated from the page's content. Google uses the meta description when it describes the page more accurately than an excerpt from the text. Because Google tailors the excerpt to the search query, different texts may appear for different search queries.

According to Google, there is no fixed length limit. However, the snippet will be truncated in the search results if it does not fit the width of the device. That’s why the most important information should be placed at the beginning.

What Your Business Should Keep in Mind

Write a separate description for each page. Google advises against using the same text everywhere. If you're short on time, Google recommends starting with the most important pages, such as the homepage and the most-visited service pages.

Describe what visitors can expect instead of listing search terms. Google explicitly advises against long strings of keywords. Instead, mention your services, location, and a specific detail such as emergency service, service area, or on-site consultation. We’ll explain which terms your customers are actually searching for in the “Keywords” section.

Check whether the description actually appears in the code. In projects, we often see that a template automatically inserts the same text for all subpages, or that the field remains empty even though it appears to be filled in the editor. Checking the page source or running an automated check will clarify the issue.

Frequently Asked Questions About Meta Descriptions

Why does Google show a different text than the one I provided? Because, according to its own documentation, Google primarily generates the snippet from the page's content and selects it based on the search query. A good description increases the chance that your version will be used, but there's no guarantee.

Can I have meta descriptions generated automatically? According to Google, this is appropriate—and even recommended—for large, database-driven websites such as online stores, as long as each description is relevant to the corresponding page and contains useful information.

How are meta descriptions and page titles related? The title is the blue heading in the search results, and the description is the text below it. Together, they should clearly convey what the page offers. You can find more about these basics in “SEO Basics That Are Most Often Overlooked When Building a Website.”

The free SEO check will show you in just a few minutes whether your pages are missing descriptions.