Are metadescriptions really necessary for good seo?

[Freedom]

The on-page SEO factors you are talking about (meta-data) only accounts for about 10% of Google's considerations. The other 90% is dependent on backlinks.

That said, let's talk about meta-data.

Google has publicly stated it no longer uses meta keywords at all in their consideration. However, meta descriptions are a different story. Meta descriptions are the little blurb for each webpage you see when you search for stuff in Google.

It can help SEO a bit if you have your keyword in the meta description, however, the real advantage is you can use that space to draw in human visitors. If that description sucks, people will not be attracted to it. But if the description sounds like what they are looking for, they will click your site over all the other sites, even if your site is ranked lower in Google.

SEO rules are not unreliable, though some are outdated. It's like this. Good SEO is putting your best foot forward, like you do in your resume when you are applying for a job. You may be the best at whatever you do, but if your resume doesn't present it well, then you won't even get a chance. So SEO is like your resume, while your site's actual content is how well you do your "job."

But meta descriptions are still important.