Writing Meta Descriptions with AI: A Practical Guide

Meta descriptions matter for your business website. They're the short snippets that appear under your page titles in search results. Write them well, and more people click through to your site.

The problem? Writing compelling meta descriptions for every page takes time. And if you're running a business in Cardiff or anywhere else in the UK, time is something you don't have much of.

This is where AI writing tools can actually help. Not by replacing human judgement, but by giving you a solid starting point.

Why Meta Descriptions Still Matter in 2025

Google doesn't always use your meta description. Sometimes it creates its own snippet from your page content. But when it does use yours, you want it to count.

A good meta description acts like advertising copy. It needs to grab attention, explain what's on the page, and convince someone to click. All in about 150-160 characters.

That's harder than it sounds.

How AI Can Help (And Where It Falls Short)

AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Jasper can generate meta descriptions quickly. They're good at following character limits and including your target keywords. They can churn out dozens of variations in seconds.

Here's what AI does well:

• Keeps within character limits
• Includes your specified keywords naturally
• Creates multiple versions to choose from
• Maintains consistent tone across pages

But AI has limitations. It doesn't understand your business like you do. It can't feel the urgency of your customer's problems. And it often produces descriptions that are technically correct but emotionally flat.

A Practical Process That Works

We use AI tools at Web Cardiff for our own content and client projects. Here's the process we've found works best.

Start with context. Don't just ask AI to "write a meta description for my plumbing page." Give it background:

• What's the page about specifically?
• Who's your target customer?
• What problem are you solving?
• What's your unique selling point?

Ask for multiple versions. Request 5-10 variations. AI is good at generating options, so use that strength.

Edit ruthlessly. AI gives you raw material, not finished copy. Every meta description needs human editing to add personality and local relevance.

Test with your gut. Would you click on this result? If it doesn't excite you, it won't excite your customers.

Real Examples from Our Work

Here's how this looks in practice. Let's say you run a Cardiff accounting firm and need a meta description for your small business services page.

Weak AI output: "We provide comprehensive accounting services for small businesses in Cardiff. Our experienced team offers bookkeeping, tax preparation, and financial advice."

After human editing: "Cardiff accountants who actually understand small business. No jargon, no surprise fees. Book your free consultation today."

The difference? The edited version speaks directly to customer pain points (jargon, hidden fees) and includes a clear call to action.

Common AI Meta Description Mistakes

AI tools make predictable errors. Watch out for these:

Generic language. AI loves words like "comprehensive," "innovative," and "leading." Your customers don't care about these empty adjectives.

Keyword stuffing. Just because you can fit more keywords in doesn't mean you should. One or two targeted keywords work better.

No local connection. If you're a Cardiff business, say so. AI often forgets local relevance unless you specifically request it.

Weak calls to action. "Learn more" is boring. "Book today," "Get your quote," or "See the difference" work better.

Tools We Actually Use

We've tested most AI writing tools. For meta descriptions, we mainly use:

Claude (what we're using right now) - Good at understanding context and maintaining consistent tone.

ChatGPT - Fast and generates lots of variations. The paid version is worth it for business use.

Copy.ai - Has specific meta description templates that can save time.

Jasper - More expensive but integrates well if you're doing lots of content work.

Honestly? The tool matters less than your process. Even the free version of ChatGPT can produce decent meta descriptions if you prompt it properly.

The Reality Check

AI won't write perfect meta descriptions out of the box. But it will give you better starting points than staring at a blank page.

We still spend time editing every meta description we create. The AI does the heavy lifting, but human judgement makes the difference between clicks and scrolling past.

For our WordPress websites, we often use AI to generate initial meta descriptions during development, then refine them based on client feedback and performance data.

Try This Today

Pick one important page on your website. Use this prompt with any AI tool:

"Write 5 meta descriptions for a [your service] page targeting [your ideal customer] in [your location]. Each should be under 155 characters, include the keyword [your main keyword], and focus on [main benefit]. Make them conversational and include a call to action."

Edit the best result to add your personality and local knowledge.

Our Take on AI Writing

AI is a tool, not a replacement for understanding your customers. We use it at Web Cardiff because it speeds up our workflow and gives clients better results faster.

But we're always editing, refining, and adding human insight. That's what turns AI-generated content into something that actually converts visitors into customers.

If you need help with your website's SEO content, including meta descriptions that actually get clicked, get in touch. We can show you how AI fits into a broader content strategy that works for your business.

The future of content writing isn't human versus AI. It's humans using AI tools intelligently to create better results for their customers.