Do I Need Meta Tags
First thing to decide is what are meta tags and how important they really are. The importance of meta tags can't be underestimated. Meta tags are used to add information to the HTTP header of a webpage, which tells the search engines what the page is about and other information such as: your web site title, author and article name, among other things.
Meta tags can either improve your search engine rankings, or they can hurt them. Keywords in the meta tags need to be chosen very carefully as when you submit your website to the search engines, it's one of the first thing they pick up. Some search engines dis-regard the keywords entirely, but most use meta keywords to some extent, along with many other factors.
Having good keywords in your Meta Tags will not rank your site by itself, but it certainly will help. Since Meta Tags have been abused in the past, it is very important to only use words that actually appear on the page in your meta. If you use words that do not appear on the page, the search engines will think you are trying to fool them and it will work against you.
It is also important to avoid repetition. If you repeat the same keywords over and over, or even more than twice, the search engines will either ignore your meta, or they may ignore your webpage complete, or it will count against you in ranking.
What Meta Tags to use?
There many different Meta Tags but really only 3 are important. These are the TITLE, DESCRIPTION and KEYWORDS, in that order. If these 3 are used properly, the others are not necessary.
Tips On Using Meta Tags The Correct Way
The importance of meta tags, which are associated with keywords, is critical for your web site. The following are some hints to help you choose good keywords that will hopefully get your web site higher ranked:
- Easy does it. The best way to use Meta tags is sparingly. Meta tags are one of many many factors that go into ranking your site. Make the Meta relevant and descriptive and then stop.
- Unique to every page. Make sure every page has unique Meta Tags. Using the same Meta Tags site wide works against you. Better to have none at all than repeat your Meta.
- If you’re selling a product, make sure you put the product name and model number in the keywords.
- Variations of the keyword in meta tags are important as long as you don't stray too far away from the original keyword.
- Other options to consider include if you sell products in a certain area such as a city or state then these keywords should be added to ensure the search engines find them in the meta tag header.
About the Author:
Shakir Husein is the CEO of
Dynamic Intel Dynamic specializes in secured ecommerce solutions and content management systems. More articles on ecommerce and CMS can be accessed at
Pacific Articles.
