A meta description is a snippet that tells search engines and users what your page is about. You add it by placing a specific HTML tag in the head section of your page. If you're hand-coding, open your HTML file and insert <meta name="description" content="Your compelling summary here"> between the <head> and </head> tags. Keep it between 150 and 160 characters so Google doesn't truncate it in search results. Most people use a CMS, which makes this simpler. In WordPress, install Yoast SEO or Rank Math, then scroll below your post editor to find the meta description field. On Shopify, go to the page or product editor and look for "Search engine listing preview" at the bottom. Wix has an SEO panel in the page settings. Squarespace puts it under Page Settings > SEO. Every major platform has a dedicated field for this. Write your meta description like ad copy. Lead with the core benefit or answer, include your target keyword naturally, and give people a reason to click. Avoid duplicate descriptions across pages because Google may ignore them or write its own. At Ottawa SEO, we treat meta descriptions as the pitch that converts search impressions into visits, so we test variations and track click-through rates in Search Console. One thing to watch: Google rewrites meta descriptions about 63% of the time based on the query, pulling text from your page instead. That doesn't mean skip writing them. A well-crafted description still influences CTR when Google does use it, and it sets the default message for your page. If Google keeps ignoring yours, it usually means your description doesn't match what users are actually searching for, or your page content is thin. Fix the content first, then revisit the meta tag.