--- title: The Golden Rule of Meta Descriptions description: Meta tag descriptions have long played a significant role in the optimization of websites for search... image: https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/google-logo-icon-Jan-23-2023-12-10-40-8663-AM-4-1-1.png --- [Log In](https://www.websitemagazine.com/_hcms/mem/login) [Subscribe](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com/free/w_webk05/prgm.cgi) [![Website Magazine Logo](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x-1.png?width=586&height=145&name=gradient-regular@3x-1.png "Website Magazine Logo")](http://Website%20Services,%20Inc.) - [About](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about) - [FAQs](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/faq) - [Advertise](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/advertise) - [Editorial Staff](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/editorial-publishing-staff) - [Resources](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com) - [Newsletter](https://www.websitemagazine.com/newsletter-sign-up) - More - [Contact Us](https://www.websitemagazine.com/contact) [Log In](https://www.websitemagazine.com/_hcms/mem/login) [Subscribe](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com/free/w_webk05/prgm.cgi) Search - [Latest](https://www.websitemagazine.com) - [Design](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design) - [Development](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-development) - [SEO](https://www.websitemagazine.com/seo) - [Ecommerce](https://www.websitemagazine.com/ecommerce) - [Content](https://www.websitemagazine.com/content) - [Marketing](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing) - [Advertising](https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising) - [Email](https://www.websitemagazine.com/email) - [Infographics](https://www.websitemagazine.com/infographics) - [View All Topics](https://www.websitemagazine.com/channels) # The Golden Rule of Meta Descriptions ![Pete Prestipino](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Pete%20Prestipino.jpeg) [by Pete Prestipino](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/author/pete-prestipino) 19 Nov, 2013 - - - [mailto:?Body=https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/the-golden-rule-of-meta-descriptions](mailto:?Body=https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/the-golden-rule-of-meta-descriptions) - Link Copied! ![The Golden Rule of Meta Descriptions](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/google-logo-icon-Jan-23-2023-12-10-40-8663-AM-4-1-1.png) **Meta tag descriptions have long played a significant role in the optimization of websites for search engine placement.** A great deal of attention has been paid to the tactic over the years, and discussions about optimal length, and the density of keywords and phrases, are routine. One of the more common questions however is whether every page of a website needs to have a unique meta description. Google's Matt Cutts recently suggested (in the video below) that there are really only two viable options - either have unique meta tag descriptions on each page or don't use meta tag descriptions at all. Above all else however, make sure that you don't have duplicate meta tag descriptions. That's, fortunately, an easy fix as Google's own Webmaster Tools crawls websites and provides notifications if duplicate meta tag descriptions exist.   --- Google has been known to auto-generate descriptions of pages (primarily for the search results page) when no description exists. Cutts suggests that webmasters and search engine optimization professionals develop unique descriptions for their most important pages (home pages, high converting pages) as well as those when the auto-generated description isn't very good or appealing to users.    ![Pete Prestipino](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Pete%20Prestipino.jpeg) [Pete Prestipino](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/author/pete-prestipino) Digital marketing executive with proven experience in all aspects of search engine optimization (SEO), performance-based advertising, consumer-generated/social media, email marketing, lead generation, Web design, usability, and analytics. - 20-year Internet marketing veteran, currently serving as the Digital Marketing Campaign Manager at Antenna Group (formerly Chicago Digital). - Former Editor-In-Chief of Website Magazine, and a regular speaker on Web technology digital marketing strategy - Author of several books on digital marketing Including Web 360: The Fundamentals of Web Success; Affiliate 360: The Fundamentals of Performance Marketing; Domains 360: The Fundamentals of Buying & Selling Domain Names, and SEO 360: The Fundamentals of Search Engine Optimization. - - - [mailto:peter@websitemagazine.com](mailto:peter@websitemagazine.com) #### Popular Post ### [31 Back-to-School Keyword Targets ![31 Back-to-School Keyword Targets](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/schoolbus-1-1-1-1.jpg)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/31-back-to-school-keyword-targets) ### [GoDaddy Goes .XXX ![GoDaddy Goes .XXX](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-12-15-39-1451-AM-Apr-10-2023-01-36-09-0977-PM-3-1.png)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/godaddy-goes-xxx) ### [23 Cool Tech Facts ![23 Cool Tech Facts](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/fact_100x100-2-1-1-1.png)](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/23-cool-tech-facts) #### Subscribe to Our Newsletter! 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All Rights Reserved - [Privacy Policy](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/privacy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Pete Prestipino", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/author/pete-prestipino" }, "dateModified" : "2023-05-01T21:32:45.371Z", "datePublished" : "2013-11-19T06:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "The Golden Rule of Meta Descriptions ", "image" : [ "https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/google-logo-icon-Jan-23-2023-12-10-40-8663-AM-4-1-1.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing/the-golden-rule-of-meta-descriptions", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x-1.png" }, "name" : "Website Services, Inc." } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "NewsArticle", "author" : [ { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Pete Prestipino" } ], "headline" : "The Golden Rule of Meta Descriptions", "publisher" : { "name" : "Website Magazine", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/" } } ```