Term: Metatag
Definition: A metatag is a snippet of text that describes a page’s content; the metatag doesn’t appear on the page itself, but only in the page’s HTML code.
Alternative Names: Meta tag, Meta elements
Expanded Explanation: Metatags exist in the head section of an HTML document and are designed to help inform search engines about the topic and contents of the page. They can influence, but do not directly affect, the page’s visibility on a search engine.
Benefits or Importance: Metatags play a vital role in SEO by providing search engines with relevant information about a webpage’s content. This can have an influence on a page’s ranking as well as how it appears in search results, thereby impacting click-through rates.
Common Misconceptions or Pitfalls: A common misconception is that metatags alone can drastically improve a page’s search engine ranking. Nevertheless, although they’re undoubtedly important, they’re just one of many factors search engines consider.
Use Cases: Metatags are used in HTML documents to provide metadata about a webpage. Key types include title tags, meta description tags and robot tags.
Real-world examples:
A meta description tag could look like this:
<meta name="description" content="Learn about the latest fashion trends and styles at our blog. New articles every week.">
This tag provides a description of the page content that search engines can display in search results.
Best Practices or Tips:
- Make sure every page on your site has a metatag.
- Write clear, concise and, most importantly, unique metatags for each page.
- Use keywords relevant to your content within your metatags.
- For the meta description tag, aim for a length of about 155 characters to ensure the full description is visible in search results.
Limitations or Considerations: While metatags are important, they are not the only factor search engines consider when ranking pages. High-quality content and reputable backlinks are also significant.
Comparisons: Metatags are often compared to other SEO elements like title tags and header tags. While each plays a unique role in SEO, they all tend to contribute together to how search engines interpret and rank your page.
Historical Context or Development: Metatags have been used since the early days of HTML and web development. They have evolved in their importance for search engine optimisation over the years as search engines have developed more sophisticated algorithms.
Resources for further learning:
- Google Developers – Understand the Robots Meta Tag and X-Robots-Tag HTTP Header
- Moz – Meta Description
- Yoast – How to use meta tags
Related Services:
- SEO Strategy Planning: Our team can help you develop an effective SEO strategy, including optimal use of metatags, to improve your site’s visibility and ranking in search engine results.
- Website Audit: We can perform a comprehensive audit of your website to identify any missing or ineffective metatags and other potential SEO issues.
- Content Creation and Optimisation: We can create high-quality, SEO-friendly content for your site, complete with well-crafted metatags to improve visibility and attract more visitors.
Related Terms: Meta Description, Title Tag, Header Tags, SEO, HTML
