I'm just starting off with SEO and helping my brother with his website. Now, there were no meta details on the site whatsoever, and around a month ago I added some to the homepage. When you search the company name, it shows the description I've put. However, if you search something else, and the homepage shows up in the serps, it will NOT show me the meta details. How is this possible? I know that Google doesn't always show the Meta info, but why only when I search for the company directly and NONE of the other results? Hope someone can shed some light.
Google not showing homepage meta except for one search
seo;google
Google usually only shows the meta description if it contains the keywords for which the user searched.  You must be using the company name in the meta description you  wrote, but you are probably not using the other keywords for which you are searching in the meta description.For example.  Your site could be called Bob's Beach Toys.    And your meta description could be Buy a wide selection play equipment to use at the ocean from Bob's Beach Toys.   Then the meta description would be used for bobs beach toysbobs toysbeach toysbut not forbobs sand bucketbeach shovel and rakeA few years ago Google was using the meta description for almost all searches.   That just isn't the case today.