This translation has not been editorially reviewed yet. The German version is authoritative. Deutsche Fassung
SEO
What is a meta description, and what is it for?
The meta description is the short description text that sits in the Google results list under your entry's blue heading. It sits invisibly in the page's source code and only shows up in search. It doesn't affect the ranking, but it does affect the searcher's decision: a clear description earns the click, a haphazard one puts them off.
The description is your ad copy in the results list
A Google result consists of three parts: the blue heading, the address, and the description text below it. The searcher reads this text while deciding which result to click. The meta description is therefore your ad copy at the exact spot where the decision gets made — comparable to a shop window. A good text says, in one or two sentences, what the page offers and why the visit is worthwhile: "We build custom furniture in Graz. Consultation, measuring, and installation from one source." Every subpage can have its own description.
Without a description, Google throws together some text
If the meta description is missing, the spot in the result still gets filled: Google then pulls some snippet of text from the page — often the start of some arbitrary paragraph, menu entries, or a cookie notice. The searcher might then read "This website uses cookies. Legal notice. Privacy policy" instead of a statement about your offering. You lose control over the first impression. Our check therefore treats a missing description as a serious shortcoming: the damage doesn't happen in the ranking, it happens with every individual searcher who sees your result and scrolls past.
The description doesn't change the ranking
A common misconception: writing a good description doesn't move you up the results list. Google says itself it doesn't use the meta description as a ranking signal. Its value lies elsewhere — it raises the share of people who click your result when it's shown anyway. Two businesses in the same positions can get very different numbers of visitors, depending on whose description is more persuasive. The SEO audit area checks, for every page, whether a description is set; the ideal length is measured by a separate check point.
- Search Google for your company name and read the grey text under your result.
- Write one to two sentences for your homepage naming your offering and location, and set them as the meta description.
- Write a distinct description for every important subpage, instead of using the same text everywhere.
- Ask your agency to unlock the description fields in the content management system for you, so you can maintain the texts yourself.
- End with a reason to click — "Free initial consultation in Graz", say.
