Meta descriptions directly affect search rankings as a major ranking factor.

Meta descriptions do not directly affect search rankings. While they are crucial for attracting clicks from search engine results pages (SERPs) by providing a compelling summary of the page content, Google has stated that meta descriptions are not a direct ranking factor. A well-crafted meta description can improve click-through rate (CTR), which can indirectly signal to search engines that your page is relevant and valuable, potentially influencing rankings over time. However, the content within the meta description itself does not contribute to ranking algorithms.