EXAMPLE OF META DESCRIPTION

What Is a Good Meta Description?

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What Is a Good Meta Description? (And Why Yours Might Be Terrible)

Let’s get real for a sec.

Meta descriptions are like the forgotten stepchildren of SEO. Everyone knows they matter, but no one gives them the love they deserve.

They’re short. They don’t directly affect rankings. And Google rewrites them like 70% of the time anyway.

So… why bother?

Because when written right, meta descriptions can massively boost your click-through rates.

And CTR (click-through rate)? That does affect rankings.

So if you’ve been sleepwalking through your meta descriptions, or worse — letting Yoast auto-generate them — this post is your wake-up call.

Here’s everything you need to know about what makes a good meta description, how to write one that actually works in 2025, and real-world examples (plus a few hard slaps of truth).

🧠 What Is Meta Description (In Human Words)?

Meta description is a short summary of a web page that shows up under the title in search results.

It looks like this:

Title: How to Start a Blog in 2025
Meta Description: Want to start a blog but feel overwhelmed? This step-by-step guide makes launching your first blog stupid simple — even if you’re not tech-savvy.

That little 1–2 line blurb?

That’s your meta description.

You’re not writing it for Google. You’re writing it for humans — the people scrolling through dozens of results, deciding what to click on.

So yeah. It matters.

📉 Do Meta Descriptions Affect Rankings?

Technically? No.

Google has said repeatedly that meta descriptions are not a ranking factor.

BUT…

They do impact how many people click on your listing — which does affect rankings indirectly.

Let’s say your post is in position #5 on Google. But your meta description is fire and more people click your link than the ones above you.

Guess what Google notices?

They’re like, “Hmm, people seem to like this one. Let’s move it up.”

So while meta descriptions won’t get you to the top on their own, they absolutely help you stay there (or climb faster).

🚫 Why Most Meta Descriptions Suck

Let’s look at some real-world garbage:

“Learn more about our services. Contact us today.”

What does this tell you? Absolutely nothing.

Or this gem:

“This is a blog post about fitness tips for beginners.”

Cool story, bro. Try harder.

Most meta descriptions fail because:

  • They’re too vague

  • They’re boring

  • They don’t highlight a benefit

  • They don’t make you want to click

Even worse? Some people just let plugins like Yoast or Rank Math auto-generate them based on the first paragraph.

Newsflash: your intro paragraph wasn’t written to hook searchers — it was written to please Google.

So stop being lazy.

✅ What Makes a GOOD Meta Description?

A good meta description should do three things:

  1. Make it clear what the page is about

  2. Highlight the benefit of clicking

  3. Include a call to action or curiosity trigger

Let’s break that down.

1. Clarity

This is NOT the time to be clever. This is the time to be clear.

Say what your post/page is about in simple terms.

If your page is a list of tools, say that.

If it’s a how-to guide, say that.

Bad:

Learn how we improve productivity.

Good:

Discover 17 proven productivity tools that’ll help you get more done in less time (even if you’re a chronic procrastinator).

2. Benefits

Why should someone care?

What’s in it for them?

  • Will they save time?

  • Make money?

  • Avoid pain?

  • Learn faster?

  • Skip beginner mistakes?

Don’t just describe the post. Sell the outcome.

3. CTA or Curiosity

You’ve got like 160 characters. Don’t be afraid to end with a punch.

Use words like:

  • Discover

  • Learn

  • Find out

  • Don’t miss

  • Avoid this

  • Steal these tips

Examples:

Don’t miss these 15 free blogging tools every pro uses daily.
Find out how I grew my blog traffic 800% with just one tweak.

✍️ How to Write a Meta Description (Step-by-Step)

Here’s a quick framework you can steal.

Step 1: Start with your main topic
What’s the page actually about? One sentence, no fluff.

Step 2: Add a benefit
Why should anyone care? What will they get?

Step 3: Add a CTA or curiosity hook
Give people a reason to click now, not later.

Step 4: Keep it under 160 characters
Google usually cuts off anything longer.

🧪 Meta Description Examples (The Good Stuff)

Let’s look at some examples of meta descriptions that would actually work.

Blog Post: How to Start a Podcast

Want to start a podcast but don’t know where to begin? This 2025 guide walks you through setup, software, and growth tips. No tech skills needed.

Blog Post: 15 Keto Recipes for Beginners

Easy, tasty, and keto-friendly! These 15 beginner recipes make low-carb living simple (and delicious). Grab the grocery list too!

Product Page: Social Media Content Calendar Template

Save hours with this plug-and-play content calendar. Plan a month of social posts in under 30 minutes. Editable, drag-and-drop, Canva ready.

Service Page: SEO Coaching for Bloggers

Struggling to get traffic? My 1:1 SEO coaching helps bloggers boost rankings, fix site issues, and grow fast — without overwhelm.

⚙️ Tools to Help You Write Meta Descriptions

You don’t need to be Shakespeare. These tools can give you a head start.

1. ChatGPT

Yep. You can just ask:

“Write a meta description for a post titled ‘How to Make Money Freelancing in 2025’ that’s under 160 characters.”

And bam. Instant ideas.

2. Yoast SEO or Rank Math

They don’t always write good meta descriptions, but they do let you easily customize them and show previews.

3. Google SERP Simulator

Use sites like Portent’s SERP Preview Tool to see how your description will look in Google.

💡 Pro Tips for Writing Killer Meta Descriptions

  • Use your main keyword (even if it doesn’t help rankings, it helps relevance)

  • Match the tone of your post (funny post? Use a fun description)

  • Avoid clickbait — promise only what you deliver

  • Include numbers or specifics (“21 ways”, “in 7 minutes”, “step-by-step”)

  • A/B test them if you’re running Google Ads or using A/B tools

😬 What If Google Rewrites My Meta Description?

Yeah, Google loves to do that.

They’ll often pull text from your content that they think better matches the query.

Here’s how to reduce that:

  • Make sure your meta description matches your title and H1

  • Use relevant keywords and phrases from your content

  • Keep it relevant to the actual search intent

  • Make sure it actually helps solve a problem

But even if Google rewrites it — guess what?

That means your page is still showing up.

And that’s a win.

🧹 Clean Up Your Old Meta Descriptions

You probably have 20–50+ pages with meta descriptions that are… meh.

Here’s what to do:

  1. Go to Google Search Console → Search Results

  2. Click “Pages”

  3. Sort by impressions

  4. Find pages with high impressions but low CTR

  5. Rewrite those meta descriptions FIRST

Those are your low-hanging SEO fruits.

📦 Final Meta Description Checklist

Before you hit publish, make sure your description:

✅ Is under 160 characters
✅ Clearly explains what the page is about
✅ Includes a benefit
✅ Uses a call to action or curiosity hook
✅ Sounds like a human wrote it
✅ Isn’t just your intro paragraph rehashed

💥 Final Word: Meta Descriptions Matter (More Than You Think)

Listen.

Meta descriptions might feel like the least sexy part of SEO.

But they’re like storefront signs.

A bad one gets ignored. A good one pulls people in.

You can get more traffic, more readers, more customers — just by rewriting a few lines of text.

That’s low-effort, high-reward SEO.

So stop phoning it in.

Go through your old posts.

Write better descriptions.

Test new angles.

And watch your clicks (and rankings) go up.

You got this.

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