Meta Description

A short HTML meta tag (typically 150-160 characters) that summarizes a page. Search engines and AI systems use it as the snippet under the page title in results.

While Google sometimes generates its own snippet, AI engines lean heavily on meta descriptions to establish entity context. Write distinct, benefit-led descriptions for every important page; never auto-generate them or leave them blank.

Real-world example

Two product pages compete for the same AI citation. One has a meta description: 'Our software helps teams.' The other has: 'The only CRM built for B2B SaaS teams — tracks pipeline, auto-logs emails, and forecasts churn. Free 14-day trial.' The second gets cited 3x more often because the AI has richer entity context to work from.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a meta description be?+
150-160 characters for most pages. Keep it specific, benefit-focused, and unique per page. Never leave it blank or use auto-generated content — AI engines and Google both downgrade pages with thin or missing meta descriptions when choosing which sources to surface.

Related terms

Audit your brand against this concept

VibecodeAEO scans your site for all AEO factors weekly and tells you exactly what to fix.