Google has confirmed that there is still no fixed length for search snippets, although snippets have generally been shorter in recent times compared to previous weeks.
This issue was discussed by Google’s Danny Sullivan in response to observations by several SEOs who noticed a trend of shorter snippets appearing in search results lately.
“Our search snippets are now shorter on average than in recent weeks, though slightly longer than before a change we made last December,” Sullivan stated. “There is no fixed length for snippets. Length varies based on what our systems deem to be most useful.”
Back in December, Google increased the potential length of search snippets but never specified a maximum, fixed, or recommended length.
The length of search snippets remains flexible, possibly varying depending on the specific query.
Some SEOs are upset after investing time into crafting longer meta descriptions. Sullivan emphasizes that Google had been clear from the start that there was no necessity to alter meta description tags.
When writing meta descriptions, consider asking yourself: If I were a searcher, would I be compelled to click on this result?
Avoid over-focusing on character counts. The goal is to be as useful and concise as possible. Ultimately, Google will display its preferred version of a meta description.
