meta-description

# SEO On-Page: Meta Description Guides optimization of the meta description tag for search engines and SERP display. **When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output. ## Scope (On-Page SEO) - **Meta description**: CTA; unique value; target keyword; unique per page ## Length by Language Google truncates by **pixel width** (~920px desktop, ~680px mobile), not character count. Character limits are approximate—CJK chars are wider (~2× Latin), so fewer fit in the same pixels. | Script / Language | Meta description (chars) | Notes | |-------------------|--------------------------|-------| | **Latin** (English, Spanish, French, etc.) | 150–160 | Desktop ~158; mobile ~120 | | **CJK** (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) | 75–100 | Full-width chars; 70–80 conservative; 90–100 on some locales/fonts; use pixel checker when available | | **Cyrillic** (Russian, etc.) | 140–155 | Slightly wider than Latin | | **Arabic, Hebrew** | 70–90 | RTL; variable width | **Pixel tools**: Use a pixel-accurate meta tag checker for CJK—font and locale affect display; character counts vary by source (65–80 to 90–120 in practice). **Multilingual**: Use locale-specific limits; localize, don't just translate. See **localization-strategy**, **translation**. ## Initial Assessment **Check for project context first:** If `.claude/project-context.md` or `.cursor/project-context.md` exists, read it for brand voice and target keywords. Identify: 1. **Page type**: Homepage, landing, blog, product, etc. 2. **Primary keyword**: Target search query 3. **Language / script**: Apply length rule above 4. **CTA**: Primary action (sign up, learn more, buy, etc.) ## Best Practices | Item | Guideline | |------|-----------| | **Length** | Per language (see table above); ~150 chars sweet spot for Latin; truncates beyond pixel limit | | **Unique** | One per page; no duplicate descriptions | | **Intent** | Answer "why should I click?"; match search intent | | **CTA** | Include clear call-to-action when relevant | | **Keyword** | Naturally include target keyword | | **Content** | Include author, date, price where relevant | | **Impact** | Does not affect ranking; well-written descriptions improve CTR 5–10% | ## Output Format - **Recommended meta description** (with character count for target language) - **Alternatives** (if A/B testing) ## GSC-Driven Optimization For pages with low CTR despite good position, use google-search-console to identify opportunities. Optimize meta description for pages with CTR gap. ## Related Skills - **google-search-console**: CTR analysis, identify low-CTR pages for meta optimization - **title-tag**: Title pairs with description in SERP - **localization-strategy, translation**: Multilingual metadata; locale-specific length - **serp-features**: SERP features; standard result appearance in context - **heading-structure**: H1 should align with title; description summarizes content - **open-graph**: og:description for social sharing (often mirrors or extends meta description) - **keyword-research**: Keywords in content inform description