If you think about it, what Google shows in its listings (what is called the SERP or Search Engine Results Page) is your ad.
Just like any ad, it has to catch a prospect’s eye and interest them enough to look further. In this case, to click on the link and go to your website.
A key part of this is the two lines of description between the title and the URL links. This is called the “snippet” and it is mostly, but not completely, under your control.
Most of the time, Google takes it from what is called the “meta description tag” which is a behind the scenes piece of code, an instruction to the search engines rather than something displayed on your web page.
In fact it is one of the few such pieces of “invisible” information Google pays much attention to these days.
Anyone handling Internet Marketing needs to know how to edit write and change these tags. Any program for website building is SEO-unfriendly, if it doesn’t allow you to change individual description tags. or makes it difficult to do so.
But Google doesn’t always use the description tag for the snippet. Here’s a good introduction to the subject:
Asking about this is a good way to find out if an SEO (Search Engine Optimization company or person) is competent or a faker. Any real SEO is into the subject in a big way.
