Why this matters

Without a description, Google and AI assistants make one up from whatever text they find first — often the navigation menu or a cookie notice. Writing it means the client controls the summary: what the business does, who it's for, and where it is, in its own words.

The formula

One or two sentences: what the business does, who it's for, where it is, and one reason to choose it. Keep it under 155 characters. Example: "Family-run Italian restaurant in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood. Wood-fired pizza, house-made pasta, open late." (132 characters).

Fix it in the site editor

Pick the client's platform. You're filling in a settings field — no code. If you don't have a login for the client's site, ask the client for editor access first.

Wix

  1. Open page SEO settings

    In the Wix editor, click Pages (left sidebar), click the three dots next to the homepage, then SEO Basics.

  2. Write the description

    In the Description field, type the one-or-two-sentence summary. Wix shows a character count — stay under 155.

  3. Publish

    Click Publish in the top-right.

Squarespace

  1. Open page SEO settings

    In the Pages panel, click the gear icon next to the homepage, then the SEO tab.

  2. Write the description

    In the SEO Description field, type the summary — under 155 characters.

  3. Save

    Click Save in the top-left.

WordPress

  1. Open the page

    Go to Pages → All Pages, hover the homepage, click Edit.

  2. Find the SEO box

    Scroll below the editor to the Yoast SEO (or Rank Math) box and click Edit snippet.

  3. Write the description

    In the Meta description field, type the summary. The bar underneath turns green when the length is good.

  4. Update

    Click Update in the top-right.

Shopify

  1. Open preferences

    Go to Online Store → Preferences.

  2. Write the description

    Under Title and meta description, type the summary in the Homepage meta description field — under 155 characters.

  3. Save

    Click Save in the top-right.

After publishing

Run a new SERAVERRA scan of the site. The metadata check reads the page description fresh each time — once it's there, the flag clears.