What is Meta Description?
A meta description is a short HTML snippet — typically 150 to 160 characters — that summarizes what a web page is about and appears below the page title in search results.
Definition
A meta description is a short HTML snippet, typically 150 to 160 characters, that summarizes what a web page is about. It appears below the page title in search results and serves as a brief advertisement for the page. While meta descriptions do not directly affect search rankings, they have a significant impact on click-through rate: a compelling meta description can be the difference between a user clicking your result or a competitor's.
Why It Matters for Small Businesses
Most small business websites either have no meta descriptions or have them auto-generated from the first few lines of page content, which is rarely compelling. Writing custom meta descriptions for your key pages gives you a free opportunity to advertise directly to someone who is actively searching for what you offer.
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