what a meta description actually does
Meta descriptions don't directly affect rankings. They affect click-through rate — which does affect rankings indirectly. A well-written meta description on page 2 can get more clicks than a poorly-written one on page 1.
the formula
[Primary keyword] → [What they get] → [Why yours specifically] → [Soft CTA]Example: "61 Shopify Liquid code snippets — sticky cart, free shipping bar, urgency badges and more. Copy-paste into any OS 2.0 theme. No app required."
length
Google typically shows 155–160 characters. Write to 150 and let Google truncate naturally. Front-load the most compelling information — Google sometimes truncates from the middle, not just the end.
what to avoid
- Keyword stuffing — reads as spam to both Google and users
- Generic descriptions that could apply to any product ("quality products at great prices")
- Copying your first paragraph verbatim — write the meta description as a separate standalone pitch
- Leaving it empty — Google will auto-generate one, usually worse than yours
for etsy specifically
Etsy uses your first 2–3 sentences as the meta description for Google. Write your first paragraph as if it were a standalone ad. Put your most important keywords and your single best differentiator in the first 160 characters.