The meta description is the short paragraph displayed beneath the title in a Google search result. While it does not directly affect rankings, it has a significant impact on click-through rate — a compelling description can substantially increase the percentage of searchers who click on your listing.
For AEC firms, the meta description should summarise what the page offers in 150–160 characters. For your homepage it might read: "Award-winning structural engineers based in Houston. We deliver complex commercial and infrastructure projects on time. View our portfolio." This communicates your specialty, location, and a clear call to action.
Google may replace your meta description with a different excerpt from your page if it decides the content is more relevant to the search query. This is more likely if your description is vague or does not match the page content closely.
Every page should have a unique, specific meta description. Generic descriptions like "Welcome to our website" provide no value to either users or search engines and should be avoided across all firm pages.