Meta descriptions have zero direct ranking weight in Google's algorithm—Google confirmed this repeatedly since 2009. You could delete every meta description on your site and your positions wouldn't drop. However, they matter enormously for click-through rate, which indirectly affects how much traffic you extract from existing rankings. When your meta description aligns with what someone searched for, Google often bolds matching keywords and displays your custom text. A compelling, specific description can push CTR from 2% to 8% on a page-two result, or from 18% to 25% on a position-three result. That traffic difference compounds over time. Some evidence suggests Google may use engagement signals like CTR as a ranking factor, though the effect is modest and debated. Google rewrites meta descriptions roughly 63% of the time according to various studies—they'll pull text from your page if they think it better matches the query. This happens more often when your meta description is too short (under 120 characters), too long (over 160 characters), stuffed with keywords, or doesn't match what the page actually covers. Writing a focused, query-aligned description doesn't guarantee Google uses it, but it increases the odds. At Ottawa SEO, we write unique meta descriptions for money pages—service pages, key blog posts, location landing pages—and let Google auto-generate for thin content like tag archives. We aim for 140–155 characters, front-load the primary keyword naturally, and include a clear benefit or answer. For a Toronto roofing client, "Get a free roof inspection in 24 hours. Licensed Toronto roofers since 2008. Emergency repairs, replacements, and maintenance—call now" outperforms "We offer roofing services in the GTA." Skip meta descriptions entirely if you're strapped for time and focus on title tags and content instead—those have direct ranking impact. But if you're optimizing a competitive page where every percentage point of CTR matters, spend five minutes crafting a description that makes someone want to click your result over the nine others on the page.