Meta Description
A meta description is an HTML attribute that provides a short summary of a web page's content — displayed in search results below the page title and used to influence click-through rates.
Definition¶
A meta description is an HTML <meta> tag that summarises the content of a web page. It appears in the page's <head> section and is displayed by search engines below the page title in search results (SERPs), where it acts as a brief advertisement for the page's content.
<meta name="description" content="Free AI text humanizer — paste AI-generated text and get a natural, human-sounding rewrite in seconds.">
Optimal Length¶
Google typically displays 150–160 characters of a meta description in desktop search results and roughly 120 characters on mobile. Descriptions longer than this are truncated with an ellipsis. Descriptions shorter than 70 characters leave unused display space.
The practical target: 140–155 characters, including spaces.
Does the Meta Description Affect Rankings?¶
Not directly. Google has confirmed that the meta description is not a ranking factor — it doesn't determine where a page ranks. However, it affects click-through rate (CTR): a compelling, relevant description increases the percentage of users who click on your result, which indirectly supports rankings through engagement signals.
What Makes a Good Meta Description¶
- Matches search intent — tells users the page answers the question they searched
- Includes the target keyword — Google bolds matching query terms in the description, increasing visual prominence
- Has a clear value proposition — what will the user get from clicking?
- Ends with a soft call to action — "Learn how", "Find out", "Try it free"
- Unique per page — duplicate meta descriptions across multiple pages are a missed opportunity
Meta Descriptions and AI¶
Search engines sometimes override the meta description you write and generate their own from page content, particularly when they determine your description doesn't match the query well. This happens more often with thin or vague meta descriptions. Writing a specific, accurate description that directly addresses the page's primary keyword reduces the frequency of these overrides.
AI Humanizer's Meta Description Writer generates optimised descriptions from your page content automatically.