Google confirmed years ago that it does not use the meta description as a ranking signal. What it does is sell the click. Engines display roughly 150 to 160 characters on desktop and less on mobile, and they frequently replace your text with a passage from the page that better matches the query, so write it as a strong default rather than a guarantee. Terms matching the search get bolded in the snippet, which is a reason to use the words customers actually search. Every indexable page should have its own, not a site wide repeat.
Treat it like ad copy you do not pay for. State the service, the area, one reason to choose you and a nudge to act. For a law firm page on probate in Bexar County, a description naming the county, the service and a free consultation will out click a generic sentence about commitment to excellence. Avoid the two common failures: leaving it blank so the engine grabs a navigation menu or boilerplate, and writing one description once and copying it across forty pages.
Send the site over. We will tell you what is broken, what you could rank for, and whether AI search knows you exist. No charge and no pitch deck.
