Example of a meta description for a Semrush blog article

sharminakter · Post by **sharminakter** » Mon Jan 06, 2025 8:42 am

What is a Meta Description?
A meta description is a summary of a web page that may appear in search engine results. Meta descriptions should let users know what they will find on the page and encourage them to click on it (rather than clicking on another result).

Google often (but not always) displays a page's meta description below its URL and title.

For example :

You must provide a meta description in the <head> section of each page's code. Inside a meta description tag, like here:

<meta name="description" content="Les extensions Liens annexes (Sitelink) peuvent vous aider à maximiser l'espace de votre annonce et sa pertinence pour l'utilisateur.">
Most content management systems (CMS) and SEO plugins allow you to add HTML meta descriptions and edit them in a field provided.

Here is an example from WordPress:

Field to enter a meta description on Wordpress
Note: Short descriptions may also appear in link italy phone data previews on social media and other platforms. These typically come from the Open Graph tag called "og:description." If you don't provide one, the platform may display your HTML meta description (a type of meta tag) instead.

The meta description from a social media share uses the text of the original author's meta description.
Why are Meta Descriptions Important for SEO?
Meta descriptions (sometimes called SEO meta descriptions) are not a direct ranking factor . Google does not consider them when determining positions.

But meta descriptions are important for SEO. Indeed, they are often used to generate snippets that inform Internet users about your page. And help you stand out from your competitors in the SERPs.

An effective snippet convinces more people to click on your link, which increases your click-through rate ( CTR ). It can even increase brand awareness.