Google chooses meta description or page text

[econ]

How does google determine whether to list your site with meta description or text off your page?

[PrivateInvestigator]

page text most definently and pagerank as well. Pagerank being the most important.

It doesn't use meta tags at all.

[stainofmind]

I believe the original poster is asking about the description under the link in Google results, and why sometimes the Meta Description is used and why sometimes text from the site is used. The poster wasn't asking about the importance of Meta Description to Google.

If I'm not mistaken, Google uses the Meta Description as the description if there is one present in the code. If there is not in the code, it will use text from the actual webpage. I might be wrong about this.

I do know however that Google does not measure rank by Meta Data, but does definately use it for descriptions.

[boohlick]

Originally Posted by econ

How does google determine whether to list your site with meta description or text off your page?

Im confused with your question. Did you mean that google depends on your meta tags or page text to be indexed?
If this is what you mean, my answers is - there may factors to be listed or indexed by google
1 Your right, page text or content is a best way to get noticed
2 Do not use door way pages or mirror site.. google is smart it know how when you have done this things
3 Do not use hidden text
and many more

[Jim_Westergren]

I understand his question and here my answer (what I believe):

Google will show the Meta desc in the SERPs if the search query is the same as the title. If the query is not similar to the title it will show an extract from the text on the web page in which the query was.

[stainofmind]

Originally Posted by Jim_Westergren

I understand his question and here my answer (what I believe):

Google will show the Meta desc in the SERPs if the search query is the same as the title. If the query is not similar to the title it will show an extract from the text on the web page in which the query was.

Thanks for clarifying when the Meta description is used. I knew Google used it, but wasn't sure when or why it showed sometimes, and other times is did not.

[boohlick]

Hey guys !! Pls do clarify questions, We are not psychics,who can read whats in your mind.