A meta description is the short description you can suggest for a search result. Google may use it, but can also choose different text from the page when that better matches the search.
What a good description does
- Explains the page accurately.
- Uses natural words a customer would recognise.
- Gives a useful reason to choose the result without clickbait.
- Matches the real content on the page.
Simple formula
What the page offers + who it helps + useful differentiator/next step.
Do not stuff keywords, make promises the page cannot support or write the same description for every page.
Example
Instead of “Best SEO agency SEO services UK cheap SEO”, try: “Practical SEO support for UK businesses, including page improvements, technical foundations, content and search-performance reporting.”
Sources reviewed: Google Search Essentials and Google Search Central guidance. Last reviewed September 2026.