Meta description
A meta description is a <meta name="description" content="…"> tag with a short summary of the page. It doesn't directly affect rankings, but Google often shows it under the title in results, so it decides whether people click. A good description is unique, specific and fits in about 150–160 characters.
What it looks like
<meta name="description" content="Oslo corner sofa with a sleeping function. 12 fabric colours, delivery in 7 days, 30-day returns.">
What makes a good description
- unique on every page,
- specific: what's here, who it's for, what makes it different,
- includes the main keyword — Google bolds it in results,
- around 150–160 characters, key information first,
- consistent with the page content.
Common mistakes
- the same description on every page (for example from the template),
- a description copied from the first paragraph and cut mid-sentence,
- empty descriptions on categories and products,
- two description tags after switching SEO plugins,
- descriptions overwritten by a template or a product import.
Monitoring meta descriptions
IndexRise compares the meta description of monitored pages with the baseline every night. A change in wording is a warning with the previous value; changes limited to numbers (prices, dates) are ignored, and a second description tag on a page is reported as a duplicated element.
Frequently asked questions
Does the meta description affect rankings?
Not directly. It affects the click-through rate of your result, which drives traffic.
Why does Google show a different description than mine?
Google picks a snippet for each query. If your description doesn't match what someone searched for, Google uses a passage from the page instead. This happens very often.
What if a page has no meta description?
Google picks a passage from the content. For important pages it's better to write a description that invites the click.
Updated: 2026-10-20