META tag description: Importance in SEO

[alxvallejo]

According to Google (Changing your site's title and description in search results - Webmaster Tools Help), META tags are used to alter the descriptions of a website in search results, yet have no effect on rankings.

This is puzzling to me because I assume that keywords in your META tag are part of Google's algorithm. I notice that some of my competitors rank higher because they place keywords in the META tag description.

[BarryOnline]

YouTube - ‪Google does not use the...

[paulgl]

Originally Posted by alxvallejo

This is puzzling to me because I assume that keywords in your META tag are part of Google's algorithm. I notice that some of my competitors rank higher because they place keywords in the META tag description.

The description may, that's may, be important if people actually read
your description in SERPS. But then, it could hurt also, using that
logic.

You really have got to depend more on title and content than your
description. Google is not forced to use it and may even change
it. Of course, they may change your title as well in the SERPs.

This is because they actually want searchers to click on the best
sites that are more likely to have what a searcher wants.

You don't really want to stuff your description with keywords.
It needs to make sense to google and the searcher.

Paul

[chimehost]

Create meta tag description that will lead to higher CTR when users find your page in search engine. Dont just fill it with keywords. Mention things that will make your meta tag stand out. As for Title, you want to be careful and focus on the keywords you are targeting.

Creating meta tag and changing it over and over looks fishy. Search engines don't like that. So once you update your meta tag, don't change it for a long time.

[BarryOnline]

Like paul says, mention your main target keyword once in the title & description but the meta tags don't matter.