What is meta description?

The short summary under a result’s title in search. It does not change your position but affects clicks.

The plain definition

A meta description is a short summary of a page that you write in the page’s code. Search engines often show it beneath the title in results, although they sometimes show a different passage instead. It is your short pitch for why someone should open the page.

An example

A good one reads: “Same-day water heater repair and replacement in Springfield. Upfront prices, licensed technicians. Call for a free estimate.” A poor one is empty, copied onto every page, or stuffed with a list of keywords.

Why it matters for a local business

The description does not directly change where you appear, but a clear one helps more people click. Write a unique description for each important page, say what the visitor gets and what to do next, and keep it short enough that it is not cut off.

Check it for free

See where you stand with the free SERP snippet generator. If you would rather have it handled, our Local SEO service covers this as part of the monthly work.

Related terms

Part of the SEO glossary. New to all this? Start with the beginner’s SEO guide.

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