A meta description is HTML metadata that tells search engines and users what a page is about. It appears as the gray text snippet below the blue title link in Google search results. While meta descriptions don't directly impact rankings, they heavily influence click-through rate, which does affect performance. Here's a real example from an Ottawa service page: <meta name="description" content="Ottawa SEO Inc. offers technical SEO audits, local ranking strategies, and content optimization for Canadian businesses. 15+ years experience. Book a consultation today."> Good meta descriptions follow these rules: - Length: 150–160 characters (Google truncates around 155–160 on desktop, sometimes shorter on mobile) - Include primary keyword naturally, usually near the start - Add a call-to-action or value proposition - Match the actual page content or Google may rewrite it - Avoid duplicate descriptions across pages Google rewrites meta descriptions about 63% of the time when it thinks it can better match search intent. That happens more often on informational queries where the user's question is very specific. For commercial pages like service or product pages, your written description usually sticks if it's relevant and well-crafted. At Ottawa SEO, we write unique meta descriptions for every page in our 500+ domain portfolio because even a 2% CTR improvement compounds across thousands of impressions. For local service pages, we include the city name and a benefit. For blog posts, we mirror the question being answered. The key is thinking like a searcher deciding which result to click, not like you're stuffing keywords. One common mistake: writing meta descriptions that sound like keyword spam. 'Ottawa SEO, best Ottawa SEO, top Ottawa SEO company' gets ignored or rewritten. 'Rank higher in Ottawa with technical audits, link building, and content strategy from a team managing 500+ domains' works better because it tells the searcher exactly what they get.