Meta descriptions: how to write snippets that win the click
The meta description is the text under your link in Google. See the ideal length, examples, and how to fix missing or duplicate descriptions in WordPress, Shopify and Wix.
By the WebTools team · Published 2026-11-10 · 1 min read
The meta description is the short text under your title in search results. It doesn't change your ranking, but it changes how many people click, and that's the whole point of ranking.
A description that gets clicks
- 70–160 characters.
- Say what's on the page and who it's for.
- Include the keyword: Google highlights it in bold when it matches the search.
- Give a reason to click: a benefit, a price, free shipping, "in 30 seconds".
- Unique for each page.
How to add or fix it
- WordPress: in Yoast SEO or Rank Math, fill in the Meta description field below the editor.
- Shopify: edit the page or product, then Search engine listing → Edit.
- Wix: Pages → page menu → SEO basics.
- Squarespace: page settings → SEO tab.
- Hand-coded sites: add a meta tag with name="description" to the page head.
Fix duplicates at scale
Duplicate descriptions usually come from a theme that reuses the homepage text. Write descriptions for your most important pages first: homepage, main categories, best-selling products. For large shops, an SEO plugin can build descriptions from a template that includes the product name and price.
Check yours
The website checker reads the homepage description. The full SEO audit lists every page with a missing, duplicate or too-long description. Pair it with a strong title tag.
Questions about this topic
Is the meta description a ranking factor?
No, Google says it isn't used for ranking. But a good description raises the click-through rate, and more clicks means more visitors from the same position.
How long should a meta description be?
About 70–160 characters. Google trims longer ones, and on mobile it shows even less.
Why does Google show different text than my description?
Google rewrites the snippet when it thinks another part of the page better matches the search. Descriptions that summarise the page accurately are used more often.
Related guides
SEOCanonical tags: fix duplicate content the right wayA canonical tag tells Google which address is the main copy of a page. Learn when to use it, how to add it, and how to fix missing, wrong and duplicate canonicals.1 min read
SEOThin content: how much text does a page need to rank?Pages with very little text rarely rank. Learn what thin content is, when short pages are fine, and how to expand or merge pages so they answer the searcher's question.1 min read
SEOFavicon: add the small icon Google and browsers showA favicon appears in browser tabs, bookmarks and next to your site in Google's mobile results. See the sizes you need and how to add one in WordPress, Shopify and HTML.1 min read