Problem:

Describe uses of Meta tags.

Solution:

meta tags

• Meta tags are added in the html, between the top of the document

• It is important to see the correct information in these as this could decide whether or not your web site is listed

• The meta tags (in the HTML of each page) for title , keywords and description should be utilized to their full value, and match keywords that appear in the body of the page

• Some search engines use meta tags or some are not use to obtain the information about your site - directories don't use them

• Meta tags are an important aspect of search engine optimization(SEO)

Below some steps instructions

planning

1. Think of a short keyword intensive phrase for the page
   • Use this as the page title
   • Keep to 90-150 characters or less (incl. spaces, punctuation etc.)
2. Apply phrase as the basis for a short paragraph for the description meta tag
   • Dont break the phrase up in the paragraph - keep it together
   • It is useful to include any other keyword phrases may be releted for the page
   • Keep to 250 characters (incl. spaces, punctuation etc.)
3. Use this description paragraph as the opening paragraph in the main content of the page
   • n.b. There is not much point putting keywords in the description meta tag if they are not included in the actual body content anywhere
4. Think of any other possible keyword/keyword phrases which are related to the page
   • Use these and the keywords from the title and description for the keywords meta tag

title

The tag is becoming all the time more important to listings.

• It should be descriptive, but short (about 150 characters)
• Include keywords
  • Build it around a target phrase for the page
  • It needs to make sense as a sentence, but try to limit the use of irrelevant words (a, the, etc.)
  • Need to make it exact to your web site
  • Never over the top, has marketing hyped "we are the best site etc."
    • Is not descriptive or include valuable keywords
    • Can get you kicked off certain search engines/directories!
• What the user sees at the top of their browser and therefore what is shown when they bookmark a page - make it useful!

description

The description ()

• This should be useful but it is not too long because there are recommended limits - around 250 characters only a set number of character will be displayed.
• Should include keyword phrases
• Ideally keywords which are repeated in the title and body content of the page
• Put your most important keywords at the beginning of the description
• Do not  use too many stop words (a, on, the, etc) - search engines don't index them - wastes your description

keywords

The keywords ()

• When searching for information, these are the possible keywords a user may submit 

• It is worth putting in variations , acronyms (e.g. employment, vacancies, jobs, careers) and spelling mistakes of words
• Use plural over singular
• Don't use commas between keywords:
  • Adds characters and separates words which may be searched for together
  • Makes repeating of words harder (SEs don't like repetition)
  • Experiment - if no commas isn't helping your listing, reassess after a few months
• 1000 characters (or less) in total - more is just ignored
• Don't repeat a keyword more then 3 times
  • Be careful over variations of the same word (e.g. cook, cooked, cooking)
• Match with important keywords in the body content of the page

Keywords: meta tags keywords