Meta Description Checklist
For marketers and developers who manage snippet text at page or template level. Use it when click-through rate lags behind position, or after you change page content and the old description no longer fits.
0% 0 of 10 done
- critical
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Without a description, search engines build a snippet from page text that may not read well.
- How to check or fix it
- Crawl with Screaming Frog and filter the Meta Description tab for 'Missing'. Prioritize pages with search impressions.
- critical
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Duplicate descriptions give searchers no way to tell similar results apart.
- How to check or fix it
- Use the Meta Description > Duplicate filter. Describe what is specific to each page rather than reusing a template sentence.
- critical
Why and how
- Why it matters
- A snippet that matches the query and promises a clear outcome earns the click.
- How to check or fix it
- State the topic, the benefit and any differentiator such as a price range, format or location. Avoid vague claims.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Google truncates snippets by pixel width, which cuts off the end of long descriptions.
- How to check or fix it
- Use the 'Over 155 Characters' filter as a guide only. Put the most important information first.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Terms matching the query are bolded in results, which draws the eye.
- How to check or fix it
- Use the main phrase once in plain language. Do not stuff variants or repeat the title word for word.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Action wording helps transactional pages but sounds forced on informational ones.
- How to check or fix it
- Add phrases such as 'compare plans' or 'see sizes' on commercial pages. Keep guides factual.
- important
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Google often replaces descriptions that do not reflect the page or the query.
- How to check or fix it
- Check the opening content of the page against your text. Update descriptions after any major content change.
- nice
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Google does not use meta keywords for ranking, so the field adds nothing.
- How to check or fix it
- Remove it from templates if your CMS outputs it. Spend the time on titles and descriptions instead.
- nice
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Seeing which descriptions Google swaps out shows where your copy misses the query.
- How to check or fix it
- Search the page's main queries and note when a different snippet appears. Revise descriptions to answer those queries directly.
- nice
Why and how
- Why it matters
- Thousands of blank descriptions cannot be fixed by hand.
- How to check or fix it
- Build a pattern that uses real fields such as name, category and city. Review a sample of output before releasing it.
Checklist complete. Re-run it after your next release or major change, and use the related lists below to keep going.
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Common questions
Do meta descriptions affect rankings?
Google has said meta descriptions are not a ranking factor. They influence the snippet, so they can change click-through rate.
Why does Google show a different description from mine?
Google picks the text that best fits the query, and it may take it from the page body. Writing descriptions that directly answer the target query makes yours more likely to be used.