SEOhighmeta-tags

Write a meta description for each page

rule · meta-description

The meta description is the short paragraph shown beneath your page title in search results. While not a direct ranking signal, it is your primary organic ad copy.

Code Examples

HTML

<!-- ✅ Good: Unique, 145 characters, describes value clearly -->
<head>
  <meta name="description" content="Learn to bake sourdough bread at home with our step-by-step guide. Covers starter, shaping, scoring, and baking in a Dutch oven." />
</head>

HTML

<!-- ❌ Bad: Missing description -->
<head>
  <title>Sourdough Bread Recipe | BakeCo</title>
  <!-- no meta description -->
</head>
 
<!-- ❌ Bad: Identical description on every page -->
<head>
  <meta name="description" content="BakeCo – the best baking website." />
</head>

Why It Matters

A compelling meta description acts as organic ad copy in search results—well-written descriptions improve click-through rates even though they are not a direct ranking signal.

Length Guidelines

Length	Result
< 70 characters	Too short — wasted opportunity
120–160 characters	Ideal for desktop SERPs
> 160 characters	Truncated with "…"

Google measures in pixels (~920px max for desktop), so exact character limits vary.

Writing Effective Descriptions

Answer the user's intent: What problem does this page solve?
Include a natural CTA: "Learn how to…", "Discover…", "Shop our…"
Avoid keyword stuffing: Write for users, not robots
Match the page: Google may replace your description if it doesn't match the query

Next.js Implementation

TSX

// app/blog/[slug]/page.tsx
import { Metadata } from 'next'
 
export async function generateMetadata({ params }): Promise<Metadata> {
  const post = await getPost(params.slug)
  return {
    description: post.excerpt.slice(0, 155),
  }
}

TSX

// app/layout.tsx — site-wide fallback
export const metadata: Metadata = {
  description: 'BakeCo – Step-by-step artisan bread recipes for home bakers.',
}

Common Mistakes

HTML

<!-- ❌ Bad: Content attribute missing -->
<meta name="description" />
 
<!-- ❌ Bad: HTML tags inside description -->
<meta name="description" content="<b>Best</b> sourdough recipes" />
 
<!-- ✅ Good: Plain text, clear value -->
<meta name="description" content="Master sourdough at home. Our guide walks you through every stage, from building a starter to your first perfect loaf." />

Exceptions

Utility or intentionally noindex pages may keep minimal metadata when richer search presentation is not a goal.
Template-driven pages can look repetitive in isolation; confirm the fully rendered production output before flagging duplication or omission.
If a page is intentionally redirected or excluded from indexation, resolve that crawlability decision before treating metadata polish as the primary issue.

Verification

Automated Checks

View page source and search for name="description"
Use Google Search Console → Enhancements → check for missing or duplicated descriptions
Use Google's Rich Results Test to verify metadata is readable

Manual Checks

Preview with a SERP simulator to check truncation