When Google Rewrites Your SEO Text (and Why It’s Okay)
If you’ve ever Googled your own business and noticed that the text under your website link looks different from the SEO description you carefully wrote, you’re not alone. The good news is: Google is paying attention to your site, and it’s normal. The bad news: you now don’t have control over what Google does.
Google Doesn’t Always Use Your SEO Text
When you set up SEO fields in your site, those are suggestions to Google. They help tell the search engine what each page is about. But at the end of the day, Google decides what text to display in search results. Instead of always using your meta description, Google sometimes pulls text directly from your page. Why? Because it wants to show searchers the wording that seems most relevant to what they just typed into the search bar.
Why This Happens
Here are the main reasons why Google might swap out your text:
Relevance matters most
If a searcher uses a keyword or phrase that’s found in your page content, Google may highlight that text instead of the meta description.
Meta descriptions aren’t ranking factors
They help with click-through rates, but they don’t directly affect rankings. That means Google feels free to adjust them.
Dynamic snippets
The snippet can change depending on the search query. You might see one version of text for “interior design in Boston” and another for “kitchen remodels.”
Weak or vague descriptions
If a meta description is too short or general, Google may prefer a stronger line from the body of the page.
What This Means for You
It doesn’t hurt your SEO when Google does this. In fact, it can help. By showing searchers the most relevant snippet for their query, Google makes it more likely they’ll click on your site.
That said, SEO descriptions are still valuable. They provide Google with clear context about your pages and help guide what shows up in search results. Writing unique, specific, and keyword-rich descriptions will give you the best chance of having them displayed, while still allowing Google the flexibility to highlight other content when it makes sense.
Bottom Line
If you notice your search snippet doesn’t match the SEO text we set up, don’t worry, it’s not a mistake. It’s simply Google doing its job, tailoring the search results to fit each person’s search. Every site experiences this, and it’s part of how Google helps connect the right people with your business.
