--- title: "Meta Description" description: "A meta description is an HTML attribute that provides a brief summary of a web page's content, typically displayed as the snippet text beneath the title in search engine results." category: "SEO Fundamentals" date: "2026-03-05" url: "https://getbeast.io/glossary/meta-description/" type: "glossary" --- # Meta Description **Category:** SEO Fundamentals | **Updated:** 2026-03-05 A meta description is an HTML attribute that provides a brief summary of a web page's content, typically displayed as the snippet text beneath the title in search engine results. --- ## What Is a Meta Description? A meta description is an HTML `<meta>` tag in a page's `<head>` section that provides a concise summary of the page content. It appears as the descriptive snippet under the page title in search results. The recommended length is 150-160 characters. Example: `<meta name="description" content="Learn how to optimize your site for search engines with our comprehensive SEO guide.">` ## Why Meta Descriptions Matter While meta descriptions are **not a direct ranking factor**, they significantly impact click-through rates (CTR). A compelling meta description acts as ad copy for your organic listing — it can be the difference between a user clicking your result or a competitor's. Google may also rewrite your meta description if it finds a more relevant snippet from your page content. ## How to Write Effective Meta Descriptions Keep descriptions under 160 characters to avoid truncation. Include your target keyword naturally (Google bolds matching terms). Write unique descriptions for every page — avoid duplicates. Include a call to action ("Learn more", "Get started"). Accurately summarize the page content. Use [CrawlBeast](/crawler/) to audit your entire site for missing, duplicate, or too-long meta descriptions. --- ## Related Terms - [Title Tag](/glossary/title-tag/) - [Click-Through Rate](/glossary/click-through-rate/) - [SERP](/glossary/serp/) - [Crawl Budget](/glossary/crawl-budget/) --- *Part of the [GetBeast SEO Glossary](/glossary/). Visit [GetBeast.io](https://getbeast.io) for professional SEO and log analysis tools.*