On Page Seo

Meta Description

A short HTML attribute that summarises a page's content. It appears below the title tag in search engine results pages and influences whether someone clicks through to your site.

Why Meta Description Matters for SEO

Meta descriptions aren't a direct ranking factor, but they massively influence CTR. A compelling description acts as ad copy for your organic listing. Google will rewrite it if it's bad or missing, and you probably won't like what they choose.

How Meta Description Works

Write a unique, action-oriented summary under 155 characters that includes your target keyword naturally. Think of it as a pitch to the searcher explaining exactly what they'll get if they click.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving meta descriptions blank and letting Google auto-generate them
  • Duplicating the same description across multiple pages
  • Writing descriptions that don't match the actual page content
About the Author

Lawrence Hitches is an AI SEO consultant based in Melbourne and General Manager of StudioHawk. He specialises in AI search visibility, technical SEO, and organic growth strategy. Book a free consultation →