WHAT IS A META TAG?
Oct 11, 2012
Here at The Creation Lab we always make sure to add meta tags after finishing websites, as they are essential for ensuring a page rank on Google. But what exactly is a meta tag, and what’s its purpose?
Meta tags are inserted into the HTML code and are used for search engines to determine what to display on their search results. When a Google user types in a search term, the words appearing in the search results are the same words you will have put into your meta tags.
Despite the claims that meta tags are no longer relevant to SEO, we don’t think they should be forgotten as they are still required by search engines. If you choose them correctly then they will increase click-throughs to your website and maybe boost you up the search engine ranks.
Although the title tag is not an official meta tag, it still appears in the head block of the page and is important for SEO as it determines where your website will appear in search results. Make sure you are specific your title words, including the name of your company, so the user knows what they are clicking through to.
The description tag looks something like this in the HTML coding:
This tag does not benefit your rankings but it is essential for your website’s traffic, as this is what the user is reading before deciding whether to click your link. It’s crucial therefore to give an accurate description of your page that quickly gets to the point.
Next, you need to think of your keywords. This is what the HTML looks like:
Due to regular cases of keyword stuffing, Google have made it less easy for meta keywords to have an effect on your website’s SEO. Their algorithm updates show their clear dislike for these sorts of methods, however we think it is still important to add a few, carefully chosen meta keywords into your HTML as they help to reach your target audience.
As well as the title, description and keyword tags, there are other meta tags used to direct search engine spiders and web browsers to certain information. These include the author tag, meta refresh tag, meta copyright tag and http-equiv tag, and are useful if you only want to display certain information to search engines.
To keep up to date with new SEO updates, including meta tags, read our latest news.
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