Site Tip · Getting found on Google

The gray text under your Google link

Search for your business on Google. Under the blue link there is a short gray description. Did you write it, or did Google grab some random sentence from your page? If you are not sure, it is worth a few minutes.

What a meta description is

The meta description is a short summary of a page that can show up under your link in search results. You write it in your website settings, and it does not appear on the page itself.

It does not directly change where you rank. But it changes whether someone clicks. Two businesses can appear side by side, and the one with the clearer description often gets the click.

What happens if you leave it blank

When there is no description, Google chooses text from your page on its own. That might be a menu label, a line from the footer, or half a sentence that makes no sense. Google may also rewrite your description even if you wrote one, depending on what the person searched for, so treat it as your best suggestion rather than a command.

How to write a good one

Think of it as a tiny ad. In one or two sentences, answer three questions: what do you do, where do you do it, and why should someone choose you? Keep it short, around 150 characters, so it does not get cut off. Write it for a person, not a search engine. Read it out loud once. If it sounds like something you would actually say to a new customer, it is probably good.

• What you do: "Emergency plumbing repairs"
• Where: the town or area you serve
• Why call you: something true, like "same-day appointments" or "family owned" (only if it is real)
• A gentle next step: "Call for a quote"

Where to add it

Most website builders have a field named SEO settings, page settings, or meta description for each page. Open it, type your description, and save. Do this for your home page first, then your main service pages. Every page should have its own, so do not paste the same sentence everywhere.

Changes can take a while to show up in Google. You can check how your pages appear using Google Search Console, a free tool from Google. Modestius builds and fixes websites for small businesses, and we can help write these if you want a second pair of eyes.

Questions owners ask

Does the meta description help me rank higher?

Not directly. Its main job is to persuade people to click your result once they see it.

How long should it be?

Around 150 characters is a good target. Longer descriptions may get cut off in the results.

Why does Google show something different from what I wrote?

Google sometimes picks text from your page that better matches the search. A clear, specific page and description make a good match more likely.