Meta Description
The snippet of text that appears below your page title in search results. Google doesn't use it as a ranking factor, but a compelling description improves CTR - which does affect rankings indirectly.
Why It Matters
The meta description is your pitch to searchers. It's the 155 characters that convince someone to click your result instead of the nine others on the page. Google officially says it's not a ranking factor - but click-through rate matters, and your meta description directly controls CTR.
Google also frequently rewrites meta descriptions, pulling text from your page content instead. This happens more often when your description doesn't match the search query. Writing a good one doesn't guarantee it'll be used, but it increases the odds.
In Practice
Write unique meta descriptions for every important page. Keep them under 155 characters to avoid truncation. Include your target keyword (it appears bold in results when it matches the query). End with a clear value proposition or call to action.
For pages where Google consistently rewrites your description, check whether your content better answers the query than your description does. Sometimes Google's rewrite is actually better - learn from it.
Don't duplicate meta descriptions across pages. If you can't write a unique description for every page, leaving it blank is better than using the same generic one everywhere - Google will pull relevant text from the page.
Related Terms
Glossary
Title Tag
The clickable heading in search results - one of the strongest on-page ranking signals.
Glossary
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The percentage of searchers who see your listing and actually click it.
Glossary
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)
The page Google shows after a search - the competitive landscape you're fighting in.
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