A meta description is a snippet of text you add to a page's HTML that tells searchers what the page is about before they click. Google and other search engines pull this text into the search result preview beneath your title tag. The ideal length is 150–160 characters—anything longer gets truncated with an ellipsis on desktop, and mobile cuts off even earlier around 120 characters. Meta descriptions don't carry direct ranking weight in Google's algorithm, but they're critical for click-through rate. A compelling description that matches search intent can boost your CTR by 20–40% compared to a generic or missing one. Higher CTR signals relevance to Google, which can lead to gradual ranking improvements over weeks or months. Write meta descriptions like ad copy: lead with the core benefit or answer, include your target keyword naturally so Google bolds it in the SERP, and add a subtle call to action when appropriate. Avoid keyword stuffing or duplicate descriptions across pages—Google will often rewrite poor ones by pulling random sentences from your content, which rarely converts well. Google rewrites meta descriptions roughly 60–70% of the time anyway, especially for long-tail or question-based queries where it thinks it can extract a better match from your page. That's fine. Your job is to write a strong default that works for your primary keyword and gets used for branded or navigational searches where Google tends to respect your input. At Ottawa SEO, we write unique meta descriptions for every indexable page in a site's core template—homepage, service pages, top blog posts. For large content archives or e-commerce catalogs with hundreds of SKUs, we use dynamic templates that pull product attributes or post excerpts rather than leave them blank. A missing meta description isn't a penalty, but it's a missed conversion opportunity every time someone sees your result.