SEO basics

How to fix: Meta description

The meta description is a short summary of a page that search engines may show under the title in results.

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Why it matters

It doesn't directly raise rankings, but a clear description can improve how many people click your result. Without one, the search engine picks text from the page itself, which is often less helpful.

How to check

Look for <meta name="description" content="..."> in the page's <head>.

How to fix it

HTML

<meta name="description" content="Check any website's SSL certificate for expiry, hostname match and chain problems. Free, instant, no sign-up.">

Next.js

export const metadata = {
  description: 'Check any website’s SSL certificate for expiry, hostname match and chain problems. Free, instant, no sign-up.',
};

Common mistakes

Copying the same description to every page.
Making it very long: aim for roughly 120–160 characters; longer text is often cut off.
Expecting Google to always use it: it may show different text if that matches the query better.

Frequently asked questions

Is a meta description a ranking factor?

Google has said it isn't, but it can influence click-through.

Related guides

Guidance is general. Test header and DNS changes on a staging copy first, and check your hosting provider's documentation for platform-specific steps.