Meta tags

HTML elements used to provide search engines with information about a webpage, improving visibility and click-through rates with relevant and compelling descriptions.

Table of contents

Heading 2
Heading 3
Heading 4
Heading 5
Heading 6

What Are Meta Tags?

Meta tags are snippets of text or code that provide information about a webpage to search engines and website visitors. They are placed in the HTML of a webpage, specifically within the <head> section, and help describe the page’s content. Unlike visible content like headers or paragraphs, meta tags are not displayed directly on the page but instead serve a functional purpose for SEO and browser behavior.

Common Types of Meta Tags:

  1. Meta Title (Title Tag): This specifies the title of the webpage that appears in search engine results and at the top of the browser tab.
  2. Meta Description: A brief summary of the page’s content, often displayed beneath the title in search engine results.
  3. Meta Keywords (Less relevant today): Previously used to list important keywords related to the page’s content, but search engines like Google no longer consider these for ranking.
  4. Robots Meta Tag: This tells search engines how to crawl and index the page. It can be used to control whether the page should be indexed or followed by search engine bots.
  5. Viewport Meta Tag: Helps control the page's layout on mobile devices by setting the viewport's width and scale.

How Do Meta Tags Work?

Meta tags provide metadata about a webpage that is used by search engines, browsers, and social media platforms to understand what the page is about. Here's how they work:

  1. Search Engine Crawling:
    • When a search engine like Google crawls a webpage, it reads the meta tags in the <head> section. Tags like the meta title and description help the search engine determine what the page is about, and they can influence how the page appears in search results.
  2. Search Engine Indexing:
    • Meta tags like the robots meta tag can tell search engines whether or not to index a page and whether to follow the links on that page. For example, noindex tells search engines not to include the page in search results, while nofollow tells them not to follow links on the page.
  3. Displaying Information in SERPs:
    • The meta title and meta description are commonly displayed in search engine results pages (SERPs). A well-written meta title and description can entice users to click through to your website.
  4. Browser and Social Media Behavior:
    • Meta tags also control how the page is displayed in the browser and when shared on social media platforms. For example, the Open Graph meta tags determine how your content looks when shared on Facebook or Twitter.

Why Are Meta Tags Important for SEO?

Meta tags are important for SEO because they help search engines understand your content and improve how your pages appear in search results. While some meta tags don’t directly affect search rankings, others play a significant role in determining a page’s visibility and click-through rate (CTR). Here's why they matter:

1. Meta Title and SEO Ranking:

  • The meta title is one of the most important factors for SEO. Search engines use it to understand the primary topic of the page. A well-optimized meta title with relevant keywords can improve your chances of ranking higher in search results.

2. Improved Click-Through Rate (CTR):

  • A compelling meta description doesn’t directly affect rankings, but it can significantly impact the CTR from search results. A well-written description that aligns with search intent can encourage users to click on your link rather than a competitor’s.

3. Control Over Crawling and Indexing:

  • Meta tags like the robots meta tag allow you to control how search engines interact with your site. You can choose whether or not to allow indexing of specific pages (such as thank you pages or login screens) to avoid having unnecessary or low-value content in search results.

4. Enhances User Experience on Mobile Devices:

  • The viewport meta tag ensures your site is responsive and displays correctly on mobile devices, improving mobile usability—a factor that search engines consider when ranking pages.

5. Social Media Visibility:

  • Tags like Open Graph and Twitter Cards can control how your pages appear when shared on social platforms. While this doesn’t directly affect SEO, it can increase traffic through social shares, which may indirectly benefit your rankings.

Meta Tags Best Practices

To maximize the impact of meta tags on your SEO and user experience, follow these best practices:

1. Meta Title Optimization:

  • Keep meta titles between 50-60 characters to avoid truncation in search results.
  • Include primary keywords at the beginning of the title, but ensure it reads naturally.
  • Create unique titles for every page to avoid duplication issues.
  • Make the title compelling to increase click-through rates.

Example:

<title>Affordable Web Design Services for Small Businesses | YourCompany</title>

2. Meta Description Writing:

  • Meta descriptions should be between 150-160 characters for optimal display in search results.
  • Write descriptions that clearly describe the page content and include relevant keywords.
  • Make them action-oriented and include a call-to-action (CTA) to encourage users to click.

Example:

<meta name="description" content="Discover affordable web design services for small businesses. Custom websites built to increase traffic and conversions. Contact us today!">

3. Use the Robots Meta Tag Appropriately:

  • Use noindex on pages that you don’t want to appear in search results, such as login pages, admin pages, or duplicate content.
  • Use nofollow on pages where you don’t want search engines to follow the links.

Example:

<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">

4. Implement Viewport Meta Tag for Mobile Optimization:

  • Always include the viewport meta tag to ensure that your site is responsive and mobile-friendly, which is crucial for both user experience and SEO.

Example:

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">

5. Use Social Media Meta Tags (Open Graph, Twitter Cards):

  • For better control over how your content is displayed on social media, use Open Graph and Twitter Card meta tags. This can improve engagement when users share your content across social platforms.

Example:

<meta property="og:title" content="Affordable Web Design for Small Businesses">
<meta property="og:description" content="Get a custom website designed to increase your business's traffic and sales.">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://yourwebsite.com/images/thumbnail.jpg">

6. Avoid Keyword Meta Tag:

  • The meta keywords tag is no longer used by search engines like Google for ranking purposes. Avoid using it as it provides no SEO benefit and could even lead to keyword stuffing.

In summary, meta tags play a crucial role in helping search engines and users understand the content of a webpage. By optimizing meta titles, descriptions, and other meta tags, you can improve both your search rankings and the likelihood of users clicking on your site from search results. Proper implementation and adherence to best practices will help you maximize the SEO benefits of meta tags.

Back to glossary
Go to home