How to write a meta description that gets clicks

A meta description is the two lines of grey text under your page’s headline in Google. It doesn’t decide where you rank, but it does a lot to decide whether someone clicks on you or on the business below. A good one is about 140 to 160 characters long, says plainly what the page offers, and gives the searcher a reason to choose you.

Here’s how to write one, with examples from local businesses, and how to check yours before it goes live.

Try the free tool: paste your description into our meta description checker. It counts the characters, shows a preview and flags common problems like hype words or a missing full stop. It all runs in your browser.

What is a meta description?

It’s a short summary stored in the code of each page:

<meta name="description" content="Plumber in Shrewsbury for leaks, boiler repairs and bathroom fitting...">

Visitors don’t see it on the page. Search engines may show it in results, and social sites sometimes use it when a link is shared.

Think of it as the small ad under your headline. The meta title gets attention. The description persuades.

How long should a meta description be?

Google trims descriptions to fit the space, which is measured in pixels rather than characters. In practice:

• Around 140 to 160 characters usually shows in full on desktop.
• On mobile, Google sometimes shows a little less, so put the most useful part in the first 120 characters.
• Under about 100 characters is often a missed chance to say something useful.

Our checker treats 105 to 165 characters as a useful working length. Outside that range it suggests you revise, either to add detail or to stop the ending being cut off.

Does Google always show my description?

No. Google often writes its own snippet from text on the page, particularly when someone searches for something your description doesn’t mention. That’s normal. A well-written description still gets used for the searches that matter most, usually your main service and town.

Does a meta description help SEO?

Not directly. Google has said for years that it doesn’t use the description as a ranking factor. It helps indirectly, because a clearer result tends to get more of the right people clicking through to your site.

What to put in a meta description

A simple structure that works for most small business pages:

1. What you do and where. “Plumber in Shrewsbury for leaks, boiler repairs and bathroom fitting.”
2. One concrete reason to choose you. Opening hours, how quickly you can visit, a price, an area you cover, parking, a free quote.
3. What to do next. “Ask for a free quote today.” “See today’s menu.”

Keep it in plain sentences. End with a full stop. And make every page’s description different, because each page answers a different question.

Words to avoid

• Hype with nothing behind it. “Best”, “amazing”, “unbeatable”. The checker flags these. Searchers skip them.
• Exclamation marks. One looks keen. Two looks like spam.
• “Welcome to our website”. It uses up space and says nothing.
• Keyword lists. “Plumber Shrewsbury, plumbing Shrewsbury, boiler Shrewsbury” reads badly, and Google is likely to replace it.

Worked example: a Shrewsbury plumber

Before:

Welcome to our website. We are the best plumber around!!

That’s 56 characters. The checker would say there’s room to explain more, there’s unsupported hype, and the double exclamation mark stands out. It doesn’t even mention Shrewsbury.

After:

Plumber in Shrewsbury for leaks, boiler repairs and bathroom fitting. Same-week visits across Shrewsbury and Church Stretton. Ask for a free quote today.

153 characters. It names the service and town at the start, gives a specific reason to call, says which areas are covered and ends with a clear next step. Only claim “same-week visits” if it’s true for you. Whatever you promise in the description, the page needs to back up.

Worked example: a Ludlow café

Before:

Teme Street Café. Coffee. Cakes. Lunch. Ludlow.

Short, and a list rather than a sentence.

After:

Breakfast, lunch and homemade cakes on Teme Street, Ludlow. Open seven days, dog-friendly, with gluten-free options. See today’s menu and opening hours.

152 characters. Someone visiting Ludlow with a dog, or looking for gluten-free food, now has a reason to pick this café over the next one. Again, only list things that are true.

Descriptions for other kinds of page

• Service pages: service, town, one reason to choose you, a next step.
• Contact page: where you are, how to reach you, when you reply. “Call, email or visit our Shrewsbury workshop. We reply to enquiries within one working day.”
• Articles and guides: what the reader will learn. Write it as a promise the article keeps.
• Pricing page: include the price. A number in the snippet stands out and pre-qualifies the click.

How to check your meta description

1. Find your current description. Right-click the page, choose “View page source” and search for name="description". If there’s nothing there, Google is making one up for you.
2. Paste it into the meta description checker.
3. Read the length and the suggestions. Fix the first issue, then check again.
4. Put your title, page address and description together in the Google search preview to make sure the title and description add to each other instead of repeating the same phrase.
5. If the description asks people to do something, check the page makes that easy. Our call to action checker helps with the wording of buttons and links.

Where to change it

In WordPress, it’s the “meta description” box in your SEO plugin, below the page editor. Website builders usually have it under each page’s SEO settings. On a WebHostGB managed website we write descriptions for every page when we build it, and you can email us changes as part of the 10 changes a month included in the £47 a month plan. See what’s included or our prices.

Try the free tool: rewrite your homepage description today and test it in the meta description checker. Want a second opinion on the whole site? Ask for a free website review.

Meta description questions

How many characters should a meta description be?

Aim for about 140 to 160 characters. Google measures by pixel width, so the exact cut-off varies, but that range usually shows in full on desktop. Put the key information in the first 120 characters for mobile.

Do I need a meta description on every page?

Every page you want people to find in Google should have its own. Pages like a thank-you page or a login page don’t need one.

What happens if I don’t write a meta description?

Google will pick some text from the page to show instead. Sometimes that’s fine, but it’s often a cookie notice, a menu or half a sentence. Writing your own gives you a better chance of a sensible snippet.

Can I use the same description on several pages?

It’s best not to. Repeated descriptions make your pages look alike in results and give searchers less to go on. Even two similar service pages should each explain what’s different.

Should I include my phone number?

You can, and some local trades find it useful. It uses about 13 characters, so only include it if you still have room for the service, the town and a reason to choose you.