Have you ever gone on a road trip and used road signs to figure out where you’re going? Well, meta tags are like secret signposts that help people find your website when they’re travelling around the internet!
Without meta tags, it would be really hard for search engines like Google and Bing to understand what each webpage is all about. Meta tags give those search engines important clues and details about the contents of a page.
In this guide, we’re going to teach you all about meta tags – what they are, the different types, and why they’re so important, if you want people to easily find your website. We’ll go step-by-step through using them properly too!
Meta tags play a crucial role in helping search engines understand and rank your content. At UTDS Optimal Choice, we know how to use meta tags strategically to boost your site’s visibility and attract the right audience. Our team can guide you in crafting meta tags that enhance your SEO efforts and improve click-through rates. Ready to optimise your site for better results? Contact us now for free consultation!
What Are Meta Tags In SEO
Types of Meta Tags
There are a bunch of different meta tags, but some are more important than others. Here are the key ones to know:
Title Tag
This is like the gigantic sign on a highway that tells you what exit or place you’re coming up to. For websites, the title tag is the big blue link that shows up at the top of search results. You want your title to clearly explain what that webpage is about using some of the most important keyword phrases related to the topic.
Meta Description
While the title is the huge sign, the meta description is like those smaller supplementary signs that give you a bit more detail about that exit or place. It’s a little 1-2 sentence summary about the page that shows up under the title in search results. A good meta description can convince people to click on your listing.
Keywords Tag
In the past, this tag just listed out a bunch of keyword phrases related to what was on the page. But nowadays, search engines are so smart that they don’t really need it spelled out this way anymore.
Robots Tag
Think of this one like those “Road Closed” or “No Entry” signs that tell you when you can’t go down a certain road. The robots tag lets you prevent search engines from looking at a particular page if you want to keep it private or hidden. Want to know how to use Robot.txt? Check here!!
Refresh Tag
This tag is kind of like a detour sign – it reroutes people from one page to a different page after a few seconds. It’s handy for temporary webpages that just need to send visitors on to another place.
Meta Tags In SEO Best Practices
Now that we know the main types of meta tags, how do we use them properly? Here are some good tips:
Titles
- Keep it short and sweet – around 60 characters max
- Accurately summarise what the page is about
- Sprinkle in 1-2 of your most important keyword phrases for that topic
- Make each page’s title unique
Descriptions
- Write a clear, easy-to-understand summary using about 1-2 sentences
- Include your primary keyword phrase
- Add a call-to-action that encourages people to click your link
- Don’t just repeat the title tag
Robots Tag
- Use “noindex” if you don’t want a page showing up in search at all
- Remove it or set to “index” if you do want a page included
Avoid
- Keyword stuffing (cramming in too many unnecessary keywords) Are you looking for competitive keyword research? Here is our easy guide
- Duplicating same meta tags across multiple pages
- Making them too long, confusing or misleading
Why Meta Tags Matter for SEO
You’re probably wondering – why are meta tags such a big deal? It’s because they are a hugely important part of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Looking for SEO Basics check here
SEO is all about setting up your website to show up higher in those search rankings on Google, Bing, etc. When you have awesome, click-worthy listings, more people will click through to your site from the search results.
While meta tags alone don’t directly boost your rankings, they do help a lot with click-through rates. Those clicks send positive signals back to search engines that your page is relevant and useful for those topics.
Over time, getting more clicks and increase website traffic can indirectly lead to higher search rankings as search engines take those positive signals into account alongside other important ranking factors.
So crafting great meta tags isn’t an instant fix, but it provides a strong foundation for SEO success!
Advanced Meta Tags
Once you’ve nailed down the basics of standard meta tags, you can level up with some more advanced strategies:
Schema Markup
This lets you add special types of structured data code to your pages. When done right, it can lead to those fancy “rich snippets” in search results that include extra visuals, review stars, product info and more. It helps your listings really jump off the page!
Social Media Meta Tags
Sites like Facebook and Twitter have their own unique meta tag variants you can use to control how your pages look when shared and embedded on those platforms. Open Graph tags for Facebook and Twitter Cards help make sure your content looks great and really “clicks” in social feeds.
Local SEO Meta Tags
If you have a local brick-and-mortar business, there are specific meta tags you can use to highlight your physical location, address, business hours, and other details that nearby searchers would want to know about. Want to know more about How does local SEO work? Check here!
Handy Meta Tag Tools
You don’t have to remember and hand-code all these meta tags yourself. There are plenty of convenient tools that can help:
Google Search Console
This free service from Google lets you easily monitor how your meta tags and site is showing up in their search results. You can quickly spot any issues or missing tags.
Yoast SEO Plugin
One of the most popular WordPress plugins that guides you through optimising meta tags, content, and all the on page SEO elements.
Online Meta Tag Generators
Sites like MetaTags.io provide simple web-based tools where you can just input the details and generate the full meta tag code for your pages.
How About A Free Consultation!
Meta tags may be hidden lines of code, but they’re critical guides that help search engines and users navigate to and understand your website. At UTDS Optimal Choice, we’re recognised as one of the best SEO agencies with clients throughout the UK, Spain, and Albania. Our team ensures that every on-page and off-page SEO technique is meticulously implemented, from optimising meta tags to building high quality backlinks to drive visibility and boost your rankings.
Don’t leave these essential details to chance. Contact us today for a free consultation and see how we can help you outrank the competition.
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