| Meta tags are a tiny but important aspect of building | | | | a page and ensure that it gets ranked for the |
| a website. They are to a website what fingers are | | | | keywords that the site's owner intended it to. |
| to a human body. A person can live without fingers, | | | | These four tips will help you to create more strategic |
| but it's much easier to get most jobs done if you | | | | meta tags and increase the likelihood of getting a |
| have ten of them. The same can be said when you | | | | high-ranking for the right search terms: |
| build a website without using meta tags. Your | | | | 1) Don't over-use meta tags. Enclosing every other |
| website can function without them, but will work | | | | word of your text with one will be viewed as "spam" |
| much better with them, provided they are used | | | | by the search engines. Search engines hate spam, |
| strategically. | | | | and don't want to be manipulated. If you use this |
| Meta tags are HTML tags which can be written into a | | | | tactic, search engines may either ignore the page or |
| web page's source code. These tags can be read by | | | | drop it from its rankings entirely. |
| search engine robots, and are used by robots to | | | | 2) Make sure meta tags aren't too wordy. When |
| determine what a page's text is about. This | | | | creating a keyword tag, for instance, limit the |
| information is used to help the search engine rank a | | | | number of words to twelve or fewer. This is |
| page for certain keywords. | | | | sufficient to get search engines pointed in the right |
| There are two main types of meta tags: "description" | | | | direction. Plus, like over-using tags in general, stuffing |
| and "keywords" tags. Both types are used to provide | | | | the tag with too many keywords can hurt your |
| clues to the search engines as to what the page is | | | | rankings. |
| about. | | | | Description tags, on the other hand, are meant to be |
| A description tag gives an overall summary of the | | | | a little bit longer. They should comprise of no more |
| web page. Basically, it's a short summary (the "Coles | | | | than 250 words, and should also contain some of the |
| Notes" version) of the text that appears on that | | | | same keywords that your text does. This description |
| page. A search engine robot will use this information | | | | should be a synopsis, not the story itself. |
| to make a determination regarding keyword ranking. | | | | 3) Don't try to trick search engines with deceptive |
| Description tags are not typically visible to the | | | | tags. In the early days of search engines, this trick |
| web-surfing public unless they look at the page's | | | | sometimes worked. However, search engine |
| source code. | | | | programmers got wise to this one very quickly. If |
| A keywords tag is one that can be programmed | | | | the keywords in your meta tags are completely |
| with keywords that are related to the text on a | | | | different from the ones in the actual text, they will |
| web page. The programmer can enclose a word, | | | | ignore or ban your page and maybe even the whole |
| words or a phrase from within the text on a page | | | | site. |
| with one of these tags and use keywords which | | | | 4) Don't over-rely on meta tags for desirable |
| describe that word or words. An example would be | | | | rankings. Sometimes when a programmer builds a |
| tagging the word "Chardonnay" on a page with | | | | website he assumes that meta tags alone will help |
| keywords like "white wine, wine". | | | | the page rank correctly, and well. Meta tags, though, |
| Like description tags, keyword tags are used mainly | | | | are more like an accessory rather than the whole |
| to provide information to search engine robots. | | | | outfit. No one would go to a formal function wearing |
| However, they can also be made visible to the web | | | | blue jeans and a t-shirt, carry a designer hand bag |
| surfer by using the mouse and hovering over a | | | | and assume that they were dressed up enough to |
| tagged word. The keywords will appear above it. | | | | be admitted. |
| Different search engines place different values on | | | | The same is true for meta tags. They aren't meant |
| meta tags when it comes to how they rank a page. | | | | to stand-alone, but to enhance the entire page's |
| They are certainly not the most important aspect in | | | | ability to generate a high-ranking for the right terms. |
| a page's rankings. In fact, a page can still rank, and | | | | Whether you build a website for your business |
| even rank well, without them. | | | | yourself or you hire out the job, make sure that |
| However, using them strategically can enhance the | | | | those meta tags are used correctly. They may be |
| appeal of a block of text to the major search | | | | the difference between Internet profit and Web |
| engines. Placing them in the right locations and using | | | | oblivion. |
| the right kind of wording will complement the text on | | | | |