Meta Description
Rewrite or draft meta description tags that match SERP pixel limits and on-page SEO goals for a single URL.
Overview
Meta Description is an agent skill for the Launch phase that optimizes the meta description tag for SERP display, length by language script, and on-page SEO scope.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills --skill meta-descriptionWhat is this skill?
- Triggers on meta description, SERP snippet, meta desc length, and description-not-showing intents
- Length guidance by script: ~150–160 Latin chars vs ~75–100 CJK with pixel-width truncation notes
- Scope covers CTA, unique value, target keyword, and unique-per-page requirements
- Cross-links title-tag and page-metadata skills for related head tags
- Version 1.4.0 metadata skill with first-use vs skip intro behavior
- ~150–160 chars Latin meta description; ~75–100 chars CJK
- ~920px desktop / ~680px mobile truncation reference
Adoption & trust: 849 installs on skills.sh; 586 GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
Your pages rank or index but SERP snippets are missing, truncated, or generic because the meta description was never tuned for pixels and intent.
Who is it for?
Indie builders polishing landing pages, blogs, or app marketing sites before or after launch indexing.
Skip if: Hreflang, robots, viewport, or title-only work—use page-metadata or title-tag instead.
When should I use this skill?
User mentions meta description, meta desc, page description, SEO description, search snippet, or rewrite meta description.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get page-specific description copy aligned to keyword, CTA, and language-appropriate length targets ready to paste into your CMS or framework head.
- Optimized meta description text per page
- Length and script notes for implementation
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
How it compares
On-page copy skill for one HTML meta tag, not a full technical SEO audit or rank-tracking tool.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is meta-description for?
Solo builders and small teams who own page HTML or CMS SEO fields and want consistent meta description rules without hiring an agency.
When should I use meta-description?
At Launch when shipping new URLs, when rewriting underperforming snippets, or when users mention meta desc length, SERP description, or description not showing.
Is meta-description safe to install?
It is editorial SEO guidance only; confirm licensing in repo metadata and review Security Audits on this Prism page before adding third-party skill packs to your agent.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - 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