HTML meta descriptions are a type of meta tag used in the head section of an HTML document to provide a brief summary of the content on a web page. Meta descriptions are used by search engines to provide a preview of a web page’s content in search engine results pages (SERPs).

A well-written meta description can help to attract clicks from users who are searching for relevant content. Meta descriptions should be concise, typically no more than 155-160 characters in length, and should accurately reflect the content of the page.

Here are some best practices for writing effective meta descriptions:

  1. Be concise: Keep the description brief and to the point, highlighting the most important aspects of the content.
  2. Use relevant keywords: Include relevant keywords in the meta description to help search engines understand the topic of the page.
  3. Be unique: Each meta description should be unique to the content on the page.
  4. Provide value: Highlight the value of the content on the page and what the user can expect to find.
  5. Use a call-to-action: Use a compelling call-to-action (CTA) to encourage users to click through to the page.

While meta descriptions do not directly impact search engine rankings, they can have an indirect impact by influencing click-through rates from search engine results pages. Therefore, it’s important to write effective meta descriptions that accurately reflect the content on the page and encourage users to click through to the page.