Meta tags can be used to increase the visibility of a website on search engines, so they're undeniably important for SEO. On the other hand, they can negatively affect your website's SEO ranking if written improperly. Let's discover what meta tags are, why they matter for SEO, and how to use them correctly to reap the benefits. Meta-tags are snippets of HTML code capable of being crawled by search engine robots such as Google. They are influential in determining the visibility of a web page on the SERPs. Meta tags are added to the <head> section of pages and can only be seen in the HTML code: Meta tags are one of the main channels that a website has to communicate with search engine robots — those responsible for crawling the content of the pages to be indexed. Meta tags are used to indicate to search engines whether a page should be indexed or not, and adds additional information about its content.What are meta tags?
Why do meta tags matter to SEO?
This turns meta tags into core aspects of an SEO strategy for two main reasons. With a good writing and configuration of meta tags, we can help robots to have a better understanding of the content of each page of a website, so that we are more likely to rank higher in the SERPs.
Additionally, meta tags can offer additional and quality information to the users in order to achieve more clicks and a higher CTR in the searches, as well as to offer them a better experience within the website.
Examples of Meta Tags
Meta tags are an essential part of a successful SEO strategy, that's why it is important to write them in a unique way, keeping Google in mind in order to rank higher, but also thinking about the user. Let's see some examples of how you should and shouldn't write meta tags.
Examples of Original Meta Title and Meta-description Tags
With meta title and meta-description tags we indicate both robots and users the main topic of the page and what it is about on the SERPs.
They should be written in a unique and originalway so that they describe the content and attract the attention of visitors. This way we can manage to appear even above large websites or directories.
On the other hand, if we do not optimize the title tags with the main keywords and topics of the page, nor in an attractive way, it will be more difficult to appear in the first positions of the SERPs.
And not only that: avoiding keyword stuffingis also recommended, which means that we shouldn't repeat a word too much because otherwise it looks unnatural.
Examples of Meta-tags that Can Damage Our Whole Digital Strategy
A bad setup of a meta tag, either by mistake or lack of knowledge, can considerably damage the entire visibility of the website.
In this case, we are talking about the robots meta-tagwith content="noindex"through which we indicate to search engines that we do not want a page to be indexed — therefore visible — in the SERPs. With this example of robots meta tags, it's difficult to get organic clicks on a web page from Google since it will not be listed.
<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow"/>
On the other hand, with content="index"we do tell the robots that we want to be indexed to appear in the SERPS results:
<meta name="robots" content="follow, index, max-snippet:-1, max-video-preview:-1, max-image-preview:large"/>
For this reason, it is very important to know how to avoid these examples of meta tags that can considerably decrease the visibility of the website on search engines.
How to Write Meta Tags
If you are wondering how to write meta tags to have a better performance it is important that you always write content thinking about your users. Then, if you have designed a well implemented SEO strategy, it will help you rank your pages automatically.
That's why, when you write meta tags you should remember to include the page's theme or its topic. If it is possible with your main keyword or synonyms, specially in the case of title and meta-descriptions tags.
When writing them it is important to follow the following tips to follow Google's guidelines to try to rank better.
Title Tags
By using the title tag, we indicate the title of the page content to both Google and the users on the search engines. This tag should not be confused with the heading 1, the main title of the text. The title meta tag is only visible to users on the search results, but not within the page.
Best practices to write title tags:
- Summarize the main topic of the page with the main keyword or terms.
- Write unique, original and attractive titles to attract the attention of users and increase the CTR of the page in the SERPs.
- Be accurate and descriptive based on the content of the page.
- Do not exceed or repeat keywords.
- Write not more than 60 characters approximately (maximum of 580 pixels).
How to Write Title Tags
In Wordpress or similar CMS tools, you can install SEO plugins such as All in One SEO, Rank Mathor Yoast SEO that will help you to edit and preview your title tags.
Or you can also paste the following code into the <head> of your webpage:
<title>What's a Website Title (Title Tag)& Why Does It Matter for SEO?</title>
Meta-description Tags
Meta-description tags offer the option to add a brief description of the page, which will be visible on the search results.
Although Google does not always display the content that the creator has proposed, sometimes it can be generated automaticallythrough the content of the page if they value that those generated by the user are not of enough "quality" or are not related to the user's query.
Best practices to write meta-description tags:
- Write the meta-descriptions in a personalized way summarizing the content of the page.
- Include the keyword at the beginning of the sentence in a natural way and without repeating it abundantly.
- Make them attractive and original.
- Keep it between 140 and 160 characters approximately (maximum 920 pixels).
How to Write Meta-description Tags
You can also use SEO pluginsthat will help you to edit and preview this section:
Or you can also paste the following code into the <head> of your page:
<meta name="description" content="A meta description is basically what helps the searcher decide whether or not to click the link to an article or webpage. A meta description helps convince or persuade readers to choose your site. "/>
Meta-robots
The robots meta-tagis one of the key meta-tags in an SEO strategy. This tag specifically tells a search engine whether a page should be indexed or followed, or not.
- In general, the default values areindex, followand it is not necessary to specify them in most cases. With this we indicate to the robots that we want the page to be indexed on the SERPs and that it can be followed.
- On the contrary, if we indicate the values noindex, nofollow, we are telling Google that we do not want those links to be followed nor to appear on the search engines.
Best Practices to Write Meta Robots Tags
- Don't confuse noindex tags with robots.txt. Through robots.txt fileswe indicate to a search engine if we want to crawl some pages or not, while through robots tag we inform if a website should be indexed or not. That's why it is important not to block noindex pages on robots.txt files, as robots won't be able to read them
How to Write Meta Robots Tags
You can edit the robots tag with Rank Mathor Yoast SEO:
Or you can also paste the following code into the <head> of your page in case you want your page to be indexed and followed:
<meta name="robots" content="follow, index, max-snippet:-1, max-video-preview:-1, max-image-preview:large"/>
Meta Viewport Tag
The meta viewport tag is used to control the way we tell the search engines how to render and display a page on different devices (mobile, tablet and desktop).
Best practices to Write Meta Robots Tags
- Use a meta viewport tagon your whole website to adapt the content for the mobile version.
How to edit viewport tag?
If you do know what you are really doing, you can edit your viewport tag on the <head> of your document. If not, use the option recommended by default:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head> …
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> …
</head> …
….
Full list of Meta Tags
But there are still many more meta-tags. We offer you a complete list of key meta-tags for your SEO strategy:
- Title Tags, to name your page on search engines
- Meta Description Tags, to describe your page on search engines
- Robots Meta Tags, to index or not index a page
- Nofollow, sponsored and user-generated content meta tags, for outbound links.
- Twitter cards meta tagsad Open Graph meta tags, for your content shared on social media
- Viewport Meta Tag, to indicate how to render a page on a mobile.
- Language meta-tags, to indicate the content language of the page
- Notranslate meta tag, to tell Google to not provide an automatic generated translation.
- nositelinkssearchbox meta-tag,to not show the sitelinks search box.
- meta charset tag, to define the character encoding of the web site.
- meta refresh tag,to send the user to a new URL after sometime, usually from a redirection. Although it is recommended to not use this tag, and do a 301 redirect.
Other meta tags, not essentials for SEO, but recommended to take into account:
- Author meta-tag, to name the author of the page
- Copyright meta- tag,owner of the rights to the source code of an HTML page.
- Meta name rating tag, to specify adult content
- Date meta-tags, to indicate the date of the content
As we can see, there are different meta tagsthat can be used to help us communicate in a better way with both the user and search engines so that everyone understands better the information that is provided. But it is important to know each one of them and optimize in an attractive and optimal way.
Originally published Jul 15, 2021 1:00:00 PM, updated September 08 2021
Topics:
Technical SEO
FAQs
What are meta tags and why are they important for SEO? ›
Meta tags are the first impression someone has of your page on a SERP. A good meta description will attract users to click through and visit your site. They ensure that search engines know what your content is about, so they'll be able to show the website in the appropriate results.
Which meta tags matter in SEO? ›The Most Important Meta Tags for SEO
Canonical Tag. Alternative Text Tag. Robots Meta Tag. Open Graph Meta Tags and Twitter Cards.
- Attain 158 characters and no longer on desktop and 120 characters on mobile.
- Use action-oriented language. It gets clicks!
- Make it specific and relevant. Put that keyword in and don't create duplicate meta descriptions!
- Don't deceive users. ...
- Provide a solution or benefit.
Know Your Meta Tags
There are four major types of meta tags worth knowing about and we'll talk about them all here. Some are not as useful as they once were. Others are worth using regularly, and will very likely increase your traffic by letting Google know who you are and what you provide.
What are Meta Tags? Meta tags provide information about the webpage in the HTML of the document. This information is called "metadata" and while it is not displayed on the page itself, it can be read by search engines and web crawlers.
How do you write a meta tag? ›- Do stick to character counts— Title tag should be around 60 – 72 characters in length or about 5 – 10 words. Meta description should be no longer than 135 – 160 characters.
- Don't exceed counts—The search engines will simply cut off excess text, potentially causing your links and descriptions to be less readable.
Here's why meta tags can still boost SEO on your site. They affect Google's indexing of your site. Meta tags allow Google to understand the content of your pages so they can appear in relevant searches. Meta tags can boost your keywords ranking.
Are tags important for SEO? ›Yes, title tags are still very important for SEO – even if Google likes to alter what you write more these days. Title tags are still key when it comes to helping Google understand what your page is about, and their importance shouldn't be underestimated.
What are the main types of SEO? ›The three kinds of SEO are: On-page SEO – Anything on your web pages – Blogs, product copy, web copy. Off-page SEO – Anything which happens away from your website that helps with your SEO Strategy- Backlinks. Technical SEO – Anything technical undertaken to improve Search Rankings – site indexing to help bot crawling.
What is SEO keyword? ›Your SEO keywords are the keywords and phrases in your web content that make it possible for people to find your site via search engines. A website that is well optimized for search engines “speaks the same language” as its potential visitor base with keywords for SEO that help connect searchers to your site.
How many meta tags should I use? ›
Incorporating Meta Keywords in Your Content
As a general rule, don't use more than about 10 meta keywords for a single page.
Metadata for SEO and social media
Search engines can crawl a website and guess its general purpose based on these elements; metadata enables webmasters to tell search engines what a page's title is, which says a lot about what search queries it may be relevant for.
Google can read both HTML and XHTML-style meta tags, regardless of the code used on the page. With the exception of google-site-verification , letter case is generally not important in meta tags.
How many types of meta are there? ›Meta elements are commonly used to define page description, keywords, document author, modified, and other metadata. There are four types of meta tags, but some are less common or related to web marketing.
What is meta title in SEO? ›A meta title, also known as a title tag, refers to the text that is displayed on search engine result pages and browser tabs to indicate the topic of a webpage.
What is an example of metadata? ›A simple example of metadata for a document might include a collection of information like the author, file size, the date the document was created, and keywords to describe the document. Metadata for a music file might include the artist's name, the album, and the year it was released.
How do you use meta tags effectively? ›Be unique: Every page on your website should have different meta tags. If you use the same ones repeatedly, it could give Google the impression that the pages aren't unique, and as a result, aren't important. Big no. Use real keywords: Your meta tags should be actual words that someone would type into a search engine.
How do you write a meta description for 2022? ›- Having the right number of characters (usually between 60-160 characters) to keep within the character limit.
- The inclusion of your location and the keywords you're trying to rank for.
- Using active, exciting language.
- Including schema on your webpage.
- Unique content.
- Consistent tone.
The title tag is an HTML element that summarizes the main idea of a web page and is displayed in the SERPs as well as in browser tabs. It is often referred to as the meta title, title tag, or SEO title.
Do meta keywords Matter 2022? ›On the 21st of September 2009, Google published an article on the Google Search Central Blog that confirmed that the keywords meta tag is not used in ranking web search results. Suffice to say; you should not be spending any time adding meta keywords to your website in 2022.
Does Google still use meta tags? ›
Google doesn't use the keywords meta tag in our web search ranking.
Why are meta keywords important? ›Meta keywords are a <meta> tag option that could be used to give more information to search engines on what a page is about. A <meta> tag defines what different types of metadata are about in an HTML document.
How do I separate keywords for SEO? ›Commas are used to separate keywords and are the only punctuation allowed in the field. Keywords can be used to disambiguate between like terms.
How do I become a SEO writer? ›- Study… and study some more! Earn a degree. ...
- Build up a portfolio and get as much experience as possible. If you're hoping to work as a freelance SEO content writer, building up a portfolio is very important. ...
- Master the art of research. ...
- Don't forget about social media.
At its most basic form, you can do SEO without HTML knowledge, but being familiar with it is recommended. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is the code that is used to arrange and convey how pictures and information should be presented on a website.
What tags are most commonly used for SEO optimization? ›- Title tag. Title tags are used to set up those clickable headlines that you see in the SERP: ...
- Meta description tag. ...
- Heading (H1-H6) tags. ...
- Image alt text. ...
- Schema markup. ...
- HTML5 semantic tags. ...
- Meta robots tag. ...
- Canonical tag.
Tags, like categories, should make it easy for people to find what they're looking for. They should be short (one to three words), unique and self-explanatory. There is no magic number of tags you should try to keep within, but the smaller the number you can keep it down to the better.
Do HTML tags affect SEO? ›What Are HTML Tags for SEO? Tags are small snippets of HTML coding that tell engines how to properly “read” your content. In fact, you can vastly improve search engine visibility by adding SEO tags in HTML. When a search engine's crawler comes across your content, it takes a look at the HTML tags of the site.
What is SEO checklist? ›On-page SEO checklist. On-page SEO is the process of optimizing the actual content on your page. It includes optimizations made to visible content and content in the source code.
What are SEO tools? ›What Are SEO Tools? SEO tools provide data and alerts about the overall health and success of your website. They help uncover areas of opportunity and identify weaknesses or issues that may prevent you from ranking and earning visibility in the SERPs.
What are the latest SEO techniques? ›
- Write for humans first and search engines second. ...
- Use targeted keywords in all the right places. ...
- Focus on user experience (UX) ...
- Focus on building relevant links. ...
- Format content for Featured Snippets. ...
- Remove anything that slows down your site.
At the bare minimum, one; some pages may have a singular focus that answers only one query. It's much more likely that you'll want to target two or three keywords per page, even if they're just close variations. Any more than four is a bit crowded; after all, each page only has one title tag and meta description.
How do I find SEO keywords for my website? ›The easiest way to find out the keywords your competitors are using is to visit their website and then view the Page Source—or the underlying HTML code—for their homepage. In Google Chrome, you simply click the tools bar (the three lines in the top right-hand corner) then select Tools > Developer Tools.
How can I improve my website SEO? ›- Publish Relevant, Authoritative Content. ...
- Update Your Content Regularly. ...
- Metadata. ...
- Have a link-worthy site. ...
- Use alt tags.
Tags & Keywords are great for short-term categories, ultra-specific categories, promoting, or for SEO purposes. Functionally, Tags & Keywords are the same, the main difference is the display – Tags are seen by the public whereas Keywords are hidden and only seen by search engines.
What is a meta keyword example? ›Many keywords therefore usually meant good rankings in the search results. For example, if the meta keyword "download" is often entered on a web page, the page will be easier to find when searching for "download".
How does metadata affect SEO? ›It lives and works behind the scenes in the HTML of web pages. The metadata we use most for SEO speaks to search engines directly from each page crawled, to communicate important information or request specific action. Because it's not immediately visible, metadata can seem foreign.
Why is metadata important for Google? ›In search engine terms, the metadata on your site lets Google's algorithm understand whether the contents of your website is relevant and valuable for your visitors. Metadata is like the trailer or highlights or your website for the search algorithm.
Which of the following metadata are important to on page SEO? ›Meta tags are one of the most important on-page seo factors — specifically page titles. Every page has a title tag which appears in search results as a headline. The meta description is a short summary of the page that appears under the title on search results.
What is URL in meta tag? ›URLs, title tags and meta tag components are all information that describe your site and page to visitors and search engines. Keeping them relevant, compelling and accurate are key to ranking well.
How do I add SEO keywords in HTML? ›
You add keywords to HTML pages by including the Meta Keywords tag inside the Head section of the code. You then insert a list of keywords relevant to your business in the Meta tag. Never include keywords that are not relevant; Google may penalize you for doing so.
How do you rank No 1 on Google? ›- Go niche. Part of succeeding at SEO is understanding the competitive landscape. ...
- Choose realistic keywords. ...
- Optimize each piece of content for your keywords. ...
- Add tons of content to your site. ...
- Acquire links to your site.
But the majority of the blog is not dedicated to my favorites, but to meta-lists. Meta-lists are lists that combine pre-existing lists. I look around the Internet, and in books and magazines and newspapers to find lists that other people have made on a topic, and I combine them into one large meta-list.
How do I add meta tags to my website? ›- Click the Advanced SEO tab. Click Additional Tags. Click + Add New Tag.
- Add your meta tag code in the HTML Code field. Click Apply.
- Important: It's not possible to delete the default meta tags that Wix adds to your site. You can only delete additional meta tags.
It is located within the section above the descriptions and keyword tags. The title tag is what is displayed on the search engines result page (SERP) and it provides a summary about your website. Use the most relevant keyword in your title tag and keep the length around 10 to 60 characters.
Does meta tags help in SEO? ›Meta tags are invisible tags that provide data about your page to search engines and website visitors. In short, they make it easier for search engines to determine what your content is about, and thus are vital for SEO.
Is meta keywords tag important for SEO? ›Meta keywords are important for SEO for some search engines because the ranking algorithm uses the meta keywords tag to identify the core topics for the web page.
Are tags important for SEO? ›Yes, title tags are still very important for SEO – even if Google likes to alter what you write more these days. Title tags are still key when it comes to helping Google understand what your page is about, and their importance shouldn't be underestimated.
Do meta keywords Matter 2022? ›On the 21st of September 2009, Google published an article on the Google Search Central Blog that confirmed that the keywords meta tag is not used in ranking web search results. Suffice to say; you should not be spending any time adding meta keywords to your website in 2022.
Do meta tags still matter? ›In short, Meta tags are key things for all search engines that appear in the HTML code of a website page and tells the search engine what the page is about, and they are the first impression and point of contact for all search engines.
What is SEO keyword? ›
Your SEO keywords are the keywords and phrases in your web content that make it possible for people to find your site via search engines. A website that is well optimized for search engines “speaks the same language” as its potential visitor base with keywords for SEO that help connect searchers to your site.
What are the 3 meta attributes? ›There are three main attributes of meta tags: name, content, and http-equiv. The name attribute specifies the type of information. The content attribute includes the meta-information.
Does Google still use meta tags? ›Google doesn't use the keywords meta tag in our web search ranking.
What is meta title in SEO? ›A meta title, also known as a title tag, refers to the text that is displayed on search engine result pages and browser tabs to indicate the topic of a webpage.
How do you write a focus keyphrase? ›The focus keyphrase is the phrase that you want your post or page to be found for in search engines. Sometimes, it is a single word, but it usually consists of a few words. That's why we call it a keyphrase. For example, if you want your blog post to rank for 'healthy snacks', then optimize your post for that term.
What is a meta keyword example? ›Many keywords therefore usually meant good rankings in the search results. For example, if the meta keyword "download" is often entered on a web page, the page will be easier to find when searching for "download".
How many meta keywords should you have? ›As a general rule, don't use more than about 10 meta keywords for a single page.
How do I separate keywords for SEO? ›Commas are used to separate keywords and are the only punctuation allowed in the field. Keywords can be used to disambiguate between like terms.
What tags are most commonly used for SEO optimization? ›- Title tag. Title tags are used to set up those clickable headlines that you see in the SERP: ...
- Meta description tag. ...
- Heading (H1-H6) tags. ...
- Image alt text. ...
- Schema markup. ...
- HTML5 semantic tags. ...
- Meta robots tag. ...
- Canonical tag.