Meta tags are one of the easiest ways to win at content optimization. They’ll get you more visibility and more visitors to your site. Properly structured HTML code especially in the ‘head’ section of an HTML document is key to good SEO.
What are Meta Tags?
The idea of Meta Tags can be confusing or overwhelming if you’re just starting out with SEO. But once you get the concept of Meta Tags and how they can help your SEO, it will be easy to implement these tweaks to boost your site.
What are Meta Tags? In the SEO world, these are coded, hidden, or invisible snippets of information about specific parts of your site. Important meta tags are key to SEO as they tell search engines and web browsers about a webpage. Proper use of these tags can increase your site’s visibility in search results, misuse can make your site look spammy or drop its rank.
Meta Descriptions or Meta Titles are the most common Meta Tags. But there are more complex ones like Viewport, Content-Type, Robot, Rating, and Refresh.
Those are the hidden bits of code that create specific signals that search engines can use as they crawl, index, and list your site in the SERPS.
Why Are Meta Tags Important for SEO?
Here are several reasons why meta tags matter in SEO. Below are the basic ways in which these little but powerful snippets can affect your visibility and traffic results.
One common problem that can hurt SEO is duplicate meta descriptions. Duplicate meta descriptions can confuse search engines and reduce user engagement. Tools like Ahrefs and Semrush can be used to audit a website for duplicate or missing meta descriptions. Unique meta descriptions are key to increasing user engagement and search engine understanding.
Keyword optimization
While you are performing keyword research, there are specific places where you insert the relevant phrases or words that you have selected. Even though you can decide to apply keywords inside the content, it is wise to add them to the relevant Meta Tags. That way, you will have taken your pages or site to a higher degree of optimization. Consequently, you will witness improved performance and ranking. Additionally, it is important to note the historical relevance and current implications of the meta keywords tag. Despite some advice to include a list of target keywords within this tag, it has not been used by Google for ranking since 2009, and its presence may even signal spam to search engines like Bing.
Click through rate
Precisely crafted Meta Descriptions and Meta Titles can cause you to witness a difference in the percentage of clicks, especially on the pages displayed in the search engine results pages (SERPs). It is one of the instances where the Metadata becomes visible to the users and not just the crawlers and search engine crawlers. For this reason, you need to align keyword optimization objectives with engaging text for your readers and expertly create marketing copy. With the right Metadata, you can move your web pages from simply ranking to a point where they can drive traffic.
Search Intent
Search engines can get information from Meta Tags on the kind of content your site is providing to readers. That plays a crucial role in leveraging possible advantages of search intent, which are an essential component of contemporary SEO. When you apply the appropriate Meta Title and Meta Description to characterize the content on your page like an article/blog instead of a product listing page, for instance, you will be more likely to rank for search results associated with informational intent. Additionally, the robots meta tag guides search engine crawlers on whether to index or follow specific web pages, impacting how search engines perceive and rank your site.
User experience
Effective Meta Titles and Meta Descriptions have an influence on how content gets displayed on different platforms and in multiple languages. Due to the increase witnessed in the use of mobile phones, it is prudent to ensure compatibility with mobile devices. Again, with multiple language options on your website, you will be able to bring international users on board. Here, meta tags are helpful as they will allow you to come up with a better user experience that is also SEO-friendly. Additionally, the viewport meta tag is crucial for mobile responsiveness as it affects the scaling and display of web pages across different devices.
Social media shares
Key Open graph metadata is one of the meta tags that make it possible for you to share your content on social media platforms. Once your content is distributed, these settings will help you ensure that it is appealing and it has the images and words you choose instead of having random images that are not a representation of your brand or content. Additionally, robot meta tags play a crucial role in controlling how search engine crawlers interact with your web pages and can enhance the presentation of your content on social media platforms.
How to Create Meta Tags for Better Rankings and Traffic
Meta titles and meta descriptions are the most popular among the other meta tags. Apart from being the simplest, they are easy to edit, especially for those who have tools that streamline optimization, like SEO plugins. It is important to note that meta keywords are now considered outdated and irrelevant for SEO, as search engines like Google no longer utilize them for ranking since 2009.
So, how can you effectively craft a compelling meta title and meta description for your SEO?
Creating Meta Titles
Often, a search engine opts to use your page title as a meta title. Usually, it is your post’s primary title or the headline that has the H1 tag. Title tags are crucial for SEO as they serve as the clickable headlines in search results, informing both users and search engines about a webpage’s content.
Nonetheless, if you wish to have another title showcased in the SERPs, you can indicate a different copy by directly editing the meta title. You can choose to move to your website’s back end or install an extension or plug to help you craft the meta title you have in mind. Being familiar with your site’s coding is an added advantage. All you need to do is simply locate your Meta Title and then update it right away.
Note these recommendations when creating your meta titles. First, consider it an excellent place to put the main keyword. Always ensure that your character count stays below 60. That way, it won’t get cut off by the search engines. Finally, make it appealing to your target audience. Note that if your title is compelling, there is a high likelihood that a human reader will visit the website.
Creating Meta Descriptions
If you have not specified your meta description tag, the search engines usually come up with their own. They take a brief excerpt from the content and then place it under the headline on the search results. Sometimes, the selected snippet may sometimes be suitable. However, you would probably wish to use this chance to create an optimized meta description where you include a keyword theme. One that will entice the right users so they can click through the website.
To define your meta description, follow the same instructions as editing a meta title, i.e., through your website’s source code, in the site’s back end, or via a plug/extension.
When creating your meta description, you will need to use guidelines akin to those of Meta Titles. However, in this case, the limit for characters is usually 105. For the description, avoid using your exact keyword, even though it may look like an opportunity to do so. Instead, use an alternative. That way, you won’t fall into the trap of keyword stuffing and ruin your SEO. You can include a particular CTA, encouraging users to visit your website through the link you will provide.
Improving Optimization with Meta Tags
Although it may seem like Meta Tags are hidden pieces in websites that use strange language that only tech experts and bots are conversant with, you don’t need to worry. Simply begin by adhering to the fundamentals. That way, you can be sure to make simple adjustments to the metadata, which can create a huge difference when it comes to your traffic, rankings, and overall business success. Meta tags play a crucial role in enhancing search engine understanding and indexing of your web page.