Description tag in code is different from what is shown in SERPS...

[Daaveey]

Hi there:

We have a client whose website we built in WP, using Yoast Pro as our SEO plugin. I was reading some reports (actually coming out of SEMrush but we use Moz as well) and I am getting really varying results in the description are of the SERPS. Even though I'm seeing the copy we wrote in Yoast in the description tag code, the SERP is showing an excerpt from the copywriting on the site. What's even weirder is that SEMrush is pulling an entirely DIFFERENT description.

I'm obviously missing out on the finer points of description tags, as Google clearly does not always choose to feature what is actually written in the description tag itself. Can someone explain to me what might be going on here?

Thanks in advance,

[JackSaville]

Hi!

Google often ignores Meta descriptions and includes their own one based on text on the page. https://moz.com/blog/why-wont-google-use-my-meta-description

In many ways this is a good thing, as the meta description will be created to match the keyword searched for (and therefore makes your result look more attractive).

[Daaveey]

Thank you, Jack for your response! This we did not know...