What It Is
A meta description is a brief summary of a page, usually one or two sentences, stored in the page’s code. Search engines sometimes display it under the page title in search results. It works like the blurb on the back of a book, helping someone decide whether to click. Visitors do not see it on the page itself. In WordPress, an SEO plugin usually provides a box for writing it.
Why It Matters for Your Business
Meta descriptions do not directly raise rankings, but a good one can earn more clicks from the same position. A hair salon’s description that mentions balayage, online booking and its neighborhood gives searchers a reason to choose it over a listing that shows random text from the footer.
Good to Know
Tip: write a unique description for each important page, about 150 to 160 characters, in plain language that matches what the searcher wants. Include the main phrase naturally and a reason to click, such as free estimates or same-week appointments. Google often rewrites descriptions to match a search, so do not worry if yours is not always shown.