Metadata refers to the snippets of information that provide context to a webpage’s content. It helps search engines understand what a page is about, assisting in indexing and improving search result relevance. A meta description is one of these elements. It isn’t visible on the content page itself, but it could be visible in the search results as a search snippet.
While meta descriptions don’t directly impact search rankings, they are crucial in shaping how search engines and users perceive your website’s content. They can significantly influence user engagement, clickthrough rates (CTR) and ultimately, a site’s SEO performance.
A well-crafted meta description can be the deciding factor that drives clicks to your site instead of your competition. If a meta description is enticing enough to generate clicks, it signals to the search engine that your page is relevant and engaging, potentially improving its ranking indirectly.
With advancements in semantic search algorithms, meta descriptions must convey context, not just keywords, so following some best practices in writing good meta descriptions can make a significant difference in:
- Attracting clicks.
- Providing context to search engines.
- Enhancing your site’s overall user experience.
Optimal length – The ideal length for a meta description is around 150-160 characters. Any longer and Google may truncate it so that the text isn’t visible in the search results, but it doesn’t matter if there is more content available in the description.
Address user intent – Consider what the user is looking for and how your page can solve or answer that problem. This helps increase relevance and the likelihood of a click.
Incorporate keywords naturally – While keywords in the meta description don’t directly affect rankings, they will be bolded in SERPs when they match the user’s search query, so making the result look more relevant.
Encourage action – A meta description can include a soft call to action. Phrases like “Learn more,” “Find out how” or “Get started today” can gently encourage users to click your link.
Spark curiosity – Leaving a bit of mystery can pique curiosity and encourage users to click.
Dynamic meta descriptions for ecommerce – For large sites like ecommerce platforms, manually writing unique meta descriptions for every product can be challenging. In such cases, dynamic meta descriptions that use a template but pull in key information such as product names, categories and prices can be useful.
Test and tweak regularly – Regularly review your pages’ performance, tweak the metadata as needed, and A/B test different versions to see what works best for your audience.
There are also some things to avoid when writing meta descriptions:
Keyword stuffing – keyword-stuffed content tends to read poorly, leading to lower user engagement and clickthrough rates and it can harm the performance rather than improve it.
Vague or misleading – Misleading or vague information might increase clicks initially, but it can lead to low engagement rates when users realise the content doesn’t match their expectations. This mismatch hurts the SEO in the long run, as search engines track how quickly users leave your page.
Duplicating descriptions across pages – Every page on the site should have unique metadata that accurately reflects the content of that specific page. Duplicate metadata can confuse search engines and negatively impact SEO, as it reduces the perceived uniqueness and relevance of the pages.
Ignoring voice search – Avoid overly complex or technical language and aim for a conversational tone that matches the more natural, query-based language of voice search.
Not incorporating user intent – meta descriptions should be designed with the searcher’s intent in mind. Failing to match user intent can result in fewer clicks or mismatched traffic.
Relying solely on keywords – Search engines now place a strong emphasis on context and intent rather than just keywords. Value and context should be provided, not just keyword signals.
Forgetting to update meta descriptions – they should evolve as the website content changes. Failing to update them, especially on older content, can result in outdated information, which affects user experience and therefore, search engine ranking.
Google rewrites somewhere between 60% and 70% of all meta descriptions because its goal is to deliver the most relevant and useful information to searchers. It makes sense that they would do this as it improves relevance, ensures it fits within their preferred format or enhances clarity.
If no meta description is present or it’s of low quality, it auto-generates it based on the page content, using headings, content snippets or other on-page text.
Following best practices for SEO is still essential even if Google adjusts the description, as it’s usually a signal that they’re trying to align the webpage with the specific needs of searchers.
In many cases, these rewrites improve clickthrough rates (CTR) by making the result more relevant to the query.
It’s also worth noting that with advancements in AI, search engines are becoming more sophisticated in understanding context, meaning and user intent, so AI-generated meta descriptions and title tags will become more prevalent.
While core best practices remain essential, emphasis will shift to:
- Using structured data.
- Optimising for mobile and local searches.
- Crafting descriptions that drive engagement.
Focus meta descriptions on intent-based, conversational phrases rather than rigid keyword optimisation and on anticipating and answering specific, conversational queries as users search more naturally.
Summary
In 2025, the search engine results will likely be more influenced by user engagement metrics such as clickthrough rates, time spent on the page and engagement rates. Google is becoming smarter at gauging whether meta descriptions are drawing in users and keeping them engaged. If they aren’t, Google may continue rewriting them to boost performance.
Effective meta description strategies in 2025 will need to align closely with AI, user intent and semantic search. Success will come from creating user-focused, context-rich descriptions that go beyond keywords to fully address search intent and improve the overall search experience.
Google provides some general guidelines around writing good description metatags. And if you want to know more about how the use of best SEO practices and effective meta description strategies in 2025 could help your business, please get in touch.