8 Meta Tags That Will Change the Game for SEO

Websites that lack meta tags are missing out on a key opportunity to rank in search results. You can use this article to learn how to add tags to your website, plus the most important meta tags for SEO.

Meta tags are HTML tags that describe the content of a page to search engines and website visitors. The meta tags only exist in the page’s code, and anyone can view them by viewing the source code of a website.

Meta tags are essential for SEO since they inform search engines about the content of a page. Consider these the introduction for all search engines.

According to John Mueller, a Google webmaster trends analyst, “meta tags can affect how users view your site in search results and whether or not they click through to your site.

However, not all meta tags for SEO are of comparable importance. In this essay, I’ll cover the meta tags you should prioritise the most.

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How to Examine Website Meta Tags for Search Engine Optimization

Right-click anywhere on the page and select “View Page Source” to examine the meta tags.

You may also use SEMrush (particularly the SEMrush Audit Tool) and Screaming Frog to examine the meta tags on any website.

The Essential Meta Tags for SEO
In this essay, I’ll explain the eight most crucial meta tags for search engine optimization:

Table Of Contents

How to Examine Website Meta Tags for Search Engine Optimization

Title Tag

The title tag is the first HTML element that describes the topic of your web page. Because they appear on the search engine results page (SERP) and in browser tabs, title tags are crucial for both SEO and visitors.

For instance, the title tag is displayed in the browser tab header of this TemplateMonster page.

The title element is compatible with all web browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

Always include your site’s title tag in the head> section:

<head>

<title>This is Title Sample</title>

</head>

Here are some helpful tips for composing a title tag:

If feasible, keep your title tag within 60 characters.
Add descriptive words to your material, such as “How to,” “Review,” “Best,” “Tips,” “Top,” “Find,” and “Buy.”
Use long-tail keywords, which contain four or more words, such as “is my website mobile-friendly?” or “how to construct a website mobile-friendly.”
Add numerals to your headline, for instance, “Nine HTML Tags That Will Improve SEO.”
Start your title tag with your primary keyword goal
Avoid keyword stuffing by writing nothing like the following: “We sell personalised cigar humidors.” Our unique cigar humidors are handmade. Please contact our custom cigar humidor professionals if you are interested in purchasing a custom cigar humidor.
Include a unique title tag on every page

Meta Description

A meta description is an HTML element that summarises the page’s content. Search engines normally display the meta description after the title tag in search results.

Here is an example of a meta description that appears on a page of search engine results:

This is how you’d code a meta description like the one above:

<head>

</head>

The meta description is not used by Google as a ranking indication. However, it still has a significant impact on the click-through rate (CTR) of your website because it appears in search results and tells users about the content of your page.

Google has recently altered the duration of search engine results. The search engine giant stated that it reduced the length of search result excerpts after increasing them in December.

Danny Sullivan, Google’s liaison for public search, stated that there is no prescribed duration for snippets.

The typical length of the desktop description snippet box has decreased from 300+ characters to roughly 160.

The average length of mobile search results snippets has decreased to 130 characters.

Here’s how to compose an effective description tag:

Do not add redundant meta descriptions.
Include a clear call to action (CTA) in your descriptions, such as “apply now” or “check out __” or one of these 100 CTA words.
Add your keywords to the descriptions.
Include any discounts or promotions you have.
Thus, you will have an engaging description tag.

Canonical Tag

A canonical tag is an HTML link tag with the rel=canonical property.

It is used to indicate that different versions of this page exist. By incorporating the canonical tag into the code, your website indicates to search engines that this URL is the primary page and that they should not index any other sites.

Use the syntax below to add a canonical tag:

link rel=”canonical” href=”http://example.com”>Example.com/link>

Replacement Text Tag

Images, a vital component of many webpages, cannot be understood by search engines. Alternative text (alt text) is a solution to this problem.

You should include appropriate alt text to photos, such as the one below, so search engines can interpret them correctly.

Thus, you may put engaging images on your website without compromising its SEO.

Utilize the following syntax when producing alt text for your website:

Here are a few guidelines for using alt text tags:

Always write a suitable description, and never keyword stuff this tag.
Utilize descriptive filenames
Be explicit and direct.
Create a sitemap for images
Use 50-55 characters (up to 16 words) in the alt text. Use an average or small file size for faster page loading speed; nevertheless, do not sacrifice image resolution.

Robots Meta Tag

The robots meta tag instructs search engines whether or not to index a page.

The tag contains four primary values for search engine spiders:

FOLLOW –The search engine spider will follow every link on the page.
The search engine spider will index the entire page.
NOFOLLOW – The search engine spider will NOT follow the page or any of its links.
NOINDEX – The web page will NOT be indexed by the search engine crawler.
Follow this format for your robots meta tag:

Indicates not to index or follow this website.

Incorporate the robots meta tag within the head> portion of your webpage.

Open Graph Meta Tags and Twitter
These tags facilitate social media synchronisation.

Open graph meta tags facilitate connection between your website and Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, and others.

The following is an example of Open Graph tags in regular HTML:

Article is the meta property=”og:type” content=”article” />

meta property=”og:title”>TITLE OF YOUR POST OR PAGE/meta>

meta property=”og:image” content=”LINK TO THE FILE IMAGE” />

Twitter cards function similarly to Open Graph, with the exception of Twitter.

Twitter will use these tags to improve the presentation of your page when it is shared on its platform.

Here is an example of a Twitter card formatted in HTML:

The title of a post or page on Twitter.

meta name=”twitter:description” content=”PAGE CONTENT DESCRIPTION”>

meta name=”twitter:image” content=”LINK TO IMAGE”> twitter:image>

meta name=”twitter:creator” content=”@USERNAME”> I am the originator of this tweet.

Header Tags

Header tags can be used to alter font sizes and indicate information hierarchy on a page.

The heading elements are labelled H1 through H6. H1 is the largest and most essential level, whereas H6 is the lowest and least essential.

Marking text with an H1 tag indicates to search engines that the text is the most important on the page.

Responsive Design Meta Tags for SEO

The last significant meta tag is the viewport meta element, often known as the responsive design meta tag.

Web designers can modify how a page scales and displays on any device using viewport meta elements.

The text in the first image is tight and difficult to read, and the image does not scale well. In the second, both the text and the image are proportional to the screen’s dimensions.

The viewport element is located in the head section of your web page.

Use the syntax below to include a responsive design meta tag:

There is one exception to the rule regarding the viewport meta tag: do not use it if your web pages are not responsive, as it will negatively impact the user experience. This tool can be used to determine if your website is responsive.

Selecting the Appropriate Meta Tags for SEO Facilitates Site Discovery

Analyzing your use of meta tags for SEO is an excellent starting point for enhancing your page’s rankings. If used appropriately, the eight meta tags for SEO discussed in this article will improve your website’s ranking.

Consider meta tags as a means to provide users and search engines with a better understanding of your website’s content. The more meta tags you include in your SEO plan, the more value you will supply.