Last website Checked
What Are Meta Tags?
A text that describes the content of a page is called a Meta Tag. It's present in the page source code instead of the page itself. Meta tags are important because they inform search engines what a web page is about. Moreover, it's read by search engines and their crawlers.
Search engines use these Meta tags to understand information about the webpage. Search engines read these tags for three purposes.
- For ranking
- To display snippets in search results
- Ignore it completely
So, these are the reasons why search engines read and understand Meta tags. Examples of Meta tags are Meta title and Meta description.
What Is the Good Practice for Using Meta Tags?
Meta tags can be good or bad for SEO at the same time. They're bad when they're misused. Effective use of Meta tags can help achieve a higher ranking in search results. People mostly pick only two Meta tags, such as keyword and description, but there are plenty of tags beyond these two.
Meta tags in SEO matter, but only when they're used effectively and correctly. For higher rankings, your Meta tags must accompany high-quality content. While using Meta tags, don't compromise on user-satisfaction.
Don't add more tags than you need. They add up to code space. The shorter the codes, the lesser will be the load on the site. More and irrelevant tags can be annoying. The best practice is to use only limited and highly relevant Meta tags and focus on the user-satisfaction instead of ranking. When the content is user-friendly, you'll automatically get ranking.
How to Check How Many Meta Tags Are Present in the Content?
When writing content, we don't often pay attention to these important factors. Sometimes we overdo things that can go against us. The best way to check Meta tags is to use any online tool. Moreover, for accurate results, you can visit this link: https://toolsyep.com/en/metatags-checker/.
It will give you an idea of whether you're overdoing or maintaining the quality of tags instead of quantity.
How Meta Tags Affect Click Through Rate (CTR) and Brand Image?
In most cases, you judge the book by its cover. Similarly, your title and description are the covers of your webpage. Moreover, they leave your first impression on the visitor. Tags shouldn't only focus on search engines; they must target the audience.
You can use whatever you like, but it's better to show some professionalism. For example, when you visit Amazon and search for a product, you will get an image, title, and short description. Moreover, you can use these tags in email marketing and on social media profiles for brand awareness. So, good use of tags can help improve the CTR and brand image.
Significant Meta Tags
You can use tons of Meta tags on a Web page. Here, we'll focus on significant tags.
- Title Tags
A tag that appears in the header is called a title tag. You can use almost 60 characters in a title tag. Long-tail keywords or tags make a difference. The best practice for getting ranking is to use focus keyword in the title.
- Image Tags
These tags are labeled as alt tags instead of Meta tags. Search engines understand these tags. For the best experience, define both alt and title tags. Title appears on the screen, and alt is used to make it appear in search results. A study shows that 20-50% of the traffic comes to site by using optimized images.
- Meta Description Tags
Almost everyone is familiar with these tags. You can provide an overview of your webpage in the Meta description. You can only write 160 characters for effective use, so use it wisely. Make it eye-catchy so that visitors click on it and get what they are looking for. When you don't add Meta description, Google picks it itself.
Examples of Good and Bad Meta Tags
Good Meta Tags are:
- Meta title
- Meta description
- Viewport (for better mobile experience)
- Meta content type (It must be present on every page)
Bad Meta Tags are:
- Author
- Revisit after
- Expiration/Date
- Rating
- Copyright
- Abstract
- Cache-control
Important Points You Need to Know About Meta Tags to Get Most Out of Google Search
- Ensure that you're not using the same keyphrase across the titles and descriptions of multiple pages.
- Don't duplicate the focus tags in Meta titles and descriptions of different pages.
- The theme of the post must reflect the Meta title and Meta description.
- Keep your Meta tags clear, short, and precise.
- When using Meta tags, focus on relevancy and readability.
- For titles, the length of characters must be around 60, and for description, it should be about 150 characters.
- Use shorter descriptions and place important points first.
- Doesn't focus on keyword stuffing because by doing this, the content will not be user-friendly.
- Don't abuse Meta tags. Use only highly relevant tags and use them when needed.
What Are the Benefits of Using Meta Tags?
When Meta tags are used effectively and correctly, you can enjoy different benefits, such as
- Higher ranking
- Improved CTR
- User Satisfaction
- Brand Awareness and many more.
Conclusion
Do Meta tags are still important in SEO? Yes, they are. Most of the time, people ignore this ranking factor. Moreover, most people abuse it by overusing these tags. You can check your Meta tags by visiting this link: https://toolsyep.com/en/metatags-checker/.
Furthermore, use highly relevant tags to get better results. We have covered the good and bad Meta tags for your understandings. So, use only good tags at specific places. While using tags, keep readers in mind. Ensure that content is engaging and not annoying users. In this way, you can increase brand awareness and click-through rates (CTR).
When you don't use your main keyword in the title, your post will not get a higher ranking. So, be smart and be wise. Sometimes, abusing can hurt your search appearance.