{"id":14565,"date":"2019-11-13T07:24:05","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T07:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trafficradius.com.au\/?p=2997"},"modified":"2024-03-26T03:43:18","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T03:43:18","slug":"seo-meta-tags","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/blog\/seo\/seo-meta-tags\/","title":{"rendered":"The World of SEO Meta Tags (Refreshed for 2018)"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

SEO Meta Tags:<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n

\"The<\/p>\r\n

What comes to mind when I say the word, \u201cmeta tag\u201d?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Does your heart skip a beat, in anticipation of something of value?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Or, do you naturally cringe and try to avoid the topic at all cost, until you\u2019re forced to\u00a0 confront your monsters?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I\u2019m here to tell you that meta tags are your friends. Although right now, you may not see them as having any value, they do serve a purpose, when and if used appropriately (and that\u2019s a big \u201cif\u201d).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

They can work their magic to help optimize discovery, and they also help organize your content and archives.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Meta tags, specifically, metadata, is a type of secret code for nerds. (Do they use that word anymore?)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

By the end of this post, I\u2019ll have you convinced to join me in crusading for the meta tag. Well, at least, you\u2019ll appreciate meta tags more since you\u2019ll have a better understanding of their unique properties.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Stick with me, and by the end of our discussion, you\u2019ll see how meta tags can be, when used correctly, are the best tools for marketers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As you know, meta tags are little HTML snippets of text that describe a webpage\u2019s content. They aren\u2019t seen on the page itself, but they\u2019re placed into the page\u2019s code.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It\u2019s important to know when and where, and when not to use them. They help determine your page ranking; they also document relevancy to your content and ultimately, to your site niche.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ranking high has more to do with how relevant and reputable your page is; it\u2019s all about the quality of your content. It\u2019s about user satisfaction and the page\u2019s popularity, not so much about meta tags.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Pages are supposed to stand on their own merit. Creating fresh content is the key to a healthy web page.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Back in 1995, people were still searching online with Infoseek, AltaVista, Lycos, and Yahoo.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Yes, Yahoo is still around, but is significantly different from its beginnings. Yahoo began in 1994 and was reborn in 2002.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Infoseek lasted from 1995 to 2001. AltaVista, the Google of its day, debuted in December of 1995, relaunched in 1999, and was morphed into one of Overture\u2019s sites.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Lycos was interesting as a forebearer, as it operated one of the earliest crawler-based search engines from 1994 to 1999.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Google was launched in 1998 as a Stanford University research project and is currently the most popular search engine. Google had the unique ability to quickly analyze links all across the web.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Naturally, things changed after people began spamming and trying to trick search engines. As the web became more commercialized, meta tags were developed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Moving the \u201cway-back machine\u201d to September 2009, Google let out a slip which shocked all but the old-timers. Come to find out, in ranking web pages, Google doesn\u2019t even use keywords meta
tags! The fa\u00e7ade was shattered.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Why do meta tags have such a negative reputation? For one, it\u2019s always the first thing critics talk about when reviewing a site. Why? Because meta tags are the first thing, one sees, at the top of each header.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

First, there\u2019s more to meta tags than just keywords and description. A lot more. Keywords and description are merely used more frequently than others.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you\u2019re interested in reading about the others, check out this comprehensive meta tag resource. It\u2019s a great resource.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

For now, however, I want to just talk about the most used meta tags, and separate them into \u201cgood, no-way, and meh.\u201d You\u2019ll notice that the \u201cbad\u201d list is much longer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Keep in mind: Use just a core minimum. Anything extra is just fluff. Besides, they take up code space, and clutter up the page, slowing it down.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So, what is best to use?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Below is a list of my recommendations, with some examples for informational purposes, for your web developer:<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Meta content type<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

These are crucial for your site as they tell the browser how to decode the page. Without these metadata, the end-result would drastically be altered.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Here\u2019s an example:\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

<meta http-equiv=\u201dContent-Type\u201d content=\u201dtext\/html;
charset=utf-8\u2033 \/><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

<meta http-equiv=\u201dContent-Type\u201d content=\u201dtext\/html;
charset=ISO-8859-1\u2033><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Title<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Very important for SEO, this meta tag should have a unique title on every page. For example, the following words are perfect: \u201cChocolate Gifts | Artisan Truffles | Gourmet Chocolate\u201d. It should be no more than 70 characters in length.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It will look like this:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

<head><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

<title>Your title
here<\/title><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

<\/head><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

An example of a poorly written Title tag, using the above example, would be this: \u201cChocolate\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Meta description<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A character snippet within 160 characters, in HTML, summarizes a page\u2019s content. Best if optimized, but that\u2019s another post.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You don\u2019t want a lot of fluff, stay away from being verbose or using flowery words. Be as concise as possible.\u00a0You might wish to include a telephone number or clear call or action.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

When you include a strong call to action, you\u2019re giving the reader the \u201cnext step\u201d. You\u2019re telling him exactly what you want him to do.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Here\u2019s a good example of meta description, according to Google:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

<meta name=\u201dDescription\u201d
content=\u201dAuthor: A.N. Author,<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Illustrator: P. Picture, Category: Books,
Price: $17.99<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Length: 784 pages\u201d><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Another example of good coding: If you have a burger joint in Sacramento,\u00a0\u201csacramentos-best-burgers-delicious\u201d\u00a0<\/em>rather than, \u201cbest-burgers-in-sacramento\u201d<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Viewport<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Tells a browser how to control the page\u2019s dimensions and to scale, especially crucial for mobile viewing.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A good example of this type of metadata code is:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

<meta name=\u201dviewport\u201d content=\u201dwidth=device-width,
initial-scale=1\u2033><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

An example of a not-so-helpful
code:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

<meta name=\u201dviewport\u201d
content=\u201dwidth=device-width\u201d><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So, those, in my opinion, are the \u201cbest\u201d meta tags. Maximizing your online presence by following these recommendations carefully. Make sure that your web developer is using the recommended style and type of metadata. Remember, your tags should be checked for accuracy, and be relevant. They must be keenly descriptive and not extraneous.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Read on for the \u201cmeh\u201d meta tags. These don\u2019t help as much as the ones mentioned earlier.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Social meta tags<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

These are pretty complex, so I\u2019ll just leave them out for now. If
you\u2019re interested, check out OpenGraph and Twitter data.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Robots<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You really don\u2019t have to have these. The only thing to remember here is to use
them when you want to be different from the norm.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Specific bots (Googlebot)<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

These give robots specific instructions, such as forcing them not to use your DMOZ listing information, etc. Search engines are usually well equipped to handle this on their own.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Language<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

One only needs these if it\u2019s an international site.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Geo<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Google doesn\u2019t use these, but I think Bing uses placename, position (latitude
and longitude), and region.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Keywords<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Surprise! Yes, they\u2019re on my \u201cmeh\u201d list as they really do little to help. If you\u2019re building the site, do yourself a favor and leave them out. Keep them if they\u2019re automated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Refresh<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Google says yuck! Use a server-side 301 redirect.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Site verification<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you\u2019re verified with Google and Bing, why do you need these? Redundant.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Now, we\u2019re heading into the \u201cno way\u201d group of meta tags. Just a caveat: nothing terrible happens if you use these; they\u2019re just not helpful and are a huge waste of valuable space.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Author\/web author<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Not necessary.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Revisit after<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A command to return to a page \u2013 ignored by major search engines.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Rating<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A maturity rating, similar to those used in the movies. Best to use a separate directory for anything, not \u201cG\u201d rated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Expiration\/date<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Lists the page\u2019s expiration date and start date. Is your page going to expire? Just remove them. For the date, make an XML sitemap \u2013 so much easier.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Copyright<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Redundant if your footer posts your copyright.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Abstract<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Primarily for educational purposes, these tags are sometimes used to place an abstract of the content.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Distribution<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Supposedly used for controlling who can access the page. It\u2019s already set to global, so these are not necessary.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Generator<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Useless. It tells what program created the page.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Cache control<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Intended to control how often a page is cached. Use the HTTP header instead.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2022\u00a0Resource type<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Describes the type of page, likely a document. The DTD declaration has already done that for you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So, there\u2019s my short list of heroes and villains in the meta tag world. Hint: think \u201ctopic\u201d or subject\u201d, not \u201cpage or article\u201d. You\u2019ll end up with the right formula of a rich, informative website. Focus on the page\u2019s content and user experience, and the meta tags will take care of themselves. No need to keep trying to \u201cgame the system\u201d by overusing or misusing meta tags.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Now you can be a crusader for meta tags!\u00a0You are hereby sanctioned to use meta tags intelligently and with purpose. No more unnecessarily taking up code space. Your pilgrimage as a crusader for the proper use of meta tags has now begun. Onward!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Don\u2019t forget to comment below and tell us what you think of this article. Your thoughts are always welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What comes to mind when I say the word, \u201cmeta tag\u201d? Does your heart skip a beat, in anticipation of something of value? Or, do you naturally cringe and try to avoid the topic at all cost, until you\u2019re forced to confront your monsters? I\u2019m here to tell you that<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[975,974,804,973,118,734],"class_list":["post-14565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo","tag-2024-seo-trends","tag-meta-tag-optimization","tag-search-engine-optimization","tag-seo-meta-tags","tag-seo-strategies","tag-website-optimization","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14565"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14565"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19850,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14565\/revisions\/19850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/trdemo.com.au\/demo-traffic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}