A meta description is an HTML meta tag in the <head> of your page that provides a brief summary of the page's content. Search engines often display it as the snippet text below the page title in search results.
Why Meta Descriptions Matter
- Click-through rate (CTR) — A compelling meta description convinces users to click your result instead of a competitor's.
- User expectations — It sets expectations for what the page contains, reducing bounce rate.
- Social sharing — Some platforms use the meta description as the default share text.
Note: Meta descriptions are not a direct ranking factor, but higher CTR can indirectly improve rankings.
Example
<meta name="description" content="Learn how to optimize your WordPress site for speed, security, and SEO with our free analysis tool." />Best Practices
- Keep it between 120-160 characters
- Include your target keyword naturally
- Write a compelling call-to-action
- Make each page's description unique
- Accurately describe the page content
What InspectWP Checks
InspectWP checks whether your WordPress page has a meta description tag, reports its content and character length. Missing or too-short meta descriptions are flagged as SEO issues.