If you’ve just run an SEO check using the SEO Action Plan Chrome extension and saw a message saying “The meta description tag is missing,” don’t worry. It’s a common issue and nothing to panic about. Think of it more like a gentle reminder that something small could be improved.
The meta description is that short piece of text that shows up in search results underneath your page title. If you don’t write one yourself, search engines will try to pull something from the page automatically. Sometimes that works okay, but often it ends up looking a bit random.
The good news is that adding a proper meta description is simple and takes just a few minutes. Whether you’re using WordPress or editing your site’s code directly, you’ll find a quick and easy fix below.
Why the Meta Description Matters #
Even though meta descriptions don’t directly impact your rankings, they can help get people to click your link when they see it in search results. Think of it like your pitch. A good meta description tells people exactly what they’ll get if they visit the page. That means more clicks, and if the page is useful, more time spent on your site. It also shows that your site is polished and trustworthy.
In short, the meta description can help turn up the volume on all the other work you’ve put into a page.
How to Fix the Missing Meta Description #
If your site runs on WordPress and you’re using an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, AIOSEO, or something similar, based on your preference, you can easily fix this. And if your website is on other CMS platforms, then you can search for the SEO extension/addon/plugin to check whether they have an SEO plugin to output the respective meta description tag.
Just open the page or post that’s missing the description. Scroll down until you see the SEO section from the plugin. You should see a field labeled “Meta description” or something similar. In that box, write a short summary of what the page is about. Try to keep it within 150 to 160 characters. After that, update the page.
If you’re not using a plugin or if your site doesn’t run on WordPress, you can add the description manually in your HTML. Here’s how it looks:
<meta name="description" content="This is a short and clear summary of the page.">
You’ll want to place this line inside the <head> section of your page. Save your changes, and you’re done.
When writing the description, be clear and natural. Think about what someone would find valuable on that page. Use one main keyword if it fits smoothly, but don’t force it.
How to Check if the meta description is outputting correctly #
After you’ve added the meta description, you might want to double-check that it’s being picked up properly.
There are a few simple ways to do that:
- View Page Source: In your browser, right-click on your page and choose “View Page Source.” Look in the head section and see if the meta description tag is there.
- Use an SEO browser tool: The SEO Action Plan extension allows you to quickly scan your page to see whether the meta description tag is present with its value.
- Google Search Console: If you use it, the changes will eventually be reflected when Google re-crawls your page. You can also submit the page manually to speed things up.
Keep in mind that even after you add the meta description, Google might still decide to display a different snippet in search results. That’s normal and not something to stress about, especially if you’ve written something helpful and relevant to the users.
Fixing a missing meta description is simple, but it can really make a difference in the long run for your website. It helps your pages look more polished in search results and gives people a reason to click. If you’re just starting out with SEO, this is one of those easy wins that’s definitely worth doing. And if you ever need help reviewing what you’ve written, feel free to ask. It’s always easier when you get a second pair of eyes on it.