What is a meta description?

The meta description is the <meta name="description"> tag in a page's <head>. Google may use it as the snippet text under the title in search results. If it finds text that fits the query better, it may show another part of the page instead.

#Why it matters

The meta description isn't a direct ranking factor, but it affects whether people click your result. A well-written description lifts CTR. When it's missing, Google picks some text from the page, which is rarely compelling. Duplicate descriptions also make pages harder to tell apart.

#Where you see it in SEOAsist

Technical Audit checks descriptions on every crawl:

The hint suggests a unique 120–160 character description. If Site API, the WordPress plugin or Pixel is ready, Auto-fix has AI write a description for each page and applies it as a rule. Details: Technical Audit.

#Example

<meta name="description" content="How long does a boiler service take and what does it cost? Same-day visits across London, a parts guarantee and a clear price list.">

An opening that answers the query, a concrete benefit and a clear reason to click; around 130 characters.

#Common mistakes

• Using the same description on every page.
• Turning the description into a keyword list.
• Going past 160 characters and leaving the key information for the end, where it gets cut off.
• Promising something the page doesn't deliver (for example, “free shipping”); users bounce right back.