Meta tags serve as
powerful tools in promoting your web site, however, even the proper
use of meta tags still does not guarantee that your web site will gain
top ranking on every search engine on the Internet! Why?
While many search engines and directories recognize Meta tags in
determining placement, there are numerous others that ignore Meta tags
altogether. These engines may implement spider programs that
scan through your web site and index it according to a certain portion
of the written content of your site. This method of
determining placement can produce an overwhelming amount of
inconsistent and irrelevant information to the "searcher."
You may consider taking your chances and decline the usage of any Meta
tags at all. Yes, you can gain placement on the search
engines and directories without using Meta tags. But by
implementing the tags, you maintain a certain amount of control over
how your site is indexed on the search engines and directories that
recognize them.
Meta tags are made up of nothing more than html code, much like the
tags you implement in creating your entire web site. While they
are easy to write, numerous inexperienced and novice creators fail to
use them properly. They are placed at the top of your site
following the main
heading. Your Meta tags can be viewed within your source code,
but do not appear directly on your web site. Meta tags can be
placed on each of your web pages, but it is recommended to select only
a few that are most relevant to your site. The most common Meta
tags found on the majority of sites are Title, Description, and
Keywords. These three basic tags can contain powerful
ammunition in assisting you in boosting your rankings.
1. The Title Meta tag should contain nothing more than the title
of the page.
Example: <TITLE>Aromatherapy: Rid your body of
stress</TITLE>
2. The Description should contain no more than 200 characters
describing your site. Keep in mind when writing the
description that you select content that best describes your site, as
this description will be displayed right with the title of your page
on the search engine or directory. Your description should be
compelling enough to grab the attention of the individual conducting
the search so that it will effectively lead searchers to your site.
Example: <META HTTP-EQUIV="description"
content="Experience total
relaxation as you rid your body of stress and find your way to better
health with aromatherapy.">
3. The keywords should relate directly to the content of the
specific page of your web site they represent. For instance, if
your web site is related to Aromatherapy, you should not include
keywords such as Dogs and Cats. To maximize the effectiveness of
keyword usage, keywords should be kept to a minimum, using no more
than six, and should be separated by spaces. Many
individuals prefer to separate their Meta tags using commas.
This serves only to make it easier for the "human" viewer to
read them, as the robots, or spiders, do not actually read the
commas. Be careful not to overly repeat keywords. Overuse
of keywords can result in the search engine robots ignoring your
entire list.
Example: <META HTTP-EQUIV="keywords"
content="aromatherapy, candles, bath oils, massage oils, body
lotions, potpourri">
Another important tag you may consider implementing is the Robots
tag. This tag allows you to specify any particular pages you do
not wish to have indexed or archived. The Robot tag should
appear as follows:
Example: <META HTTP-EQUIV="robots" content="noindex,noarchive">
There are other Meta tags you can include in your code, such as
Content-Type, Generator, Distribution, Rating, Author and Copyright,
should you desire to become more comprehensive in your efforts.
However, the above tags are deemed necessary in helping determine
appropriate placement on the search engines and directories.
Sad but true, the rules and procedures of each search engine differ
and can only be mastered through consistent experimentation. As
with most anything, the rules can change without notice; therefore,
making it difficult to know what each gives relevance to in relation
to Meta tag usage. However, through my own personal research and
experimentation, I have discovered that you can achieve a higher
ranking on most of the search engines and directories, when you
implement the rules above. Consequently, you can increase your
rankings even higher when you execute related text such as the
keywords and descriptions somewhere within your HTML pages.
SUMMARY
Meta tags are not a guarantee for gaining top search engine, or
directory, ranking. But they do provide you with a sense
of control, as well as an advantage over sites that do not use them on
some engines and directories. Through your efforts in consistent
research and in gaining knowledge and experience in Meta tag usage,
you will ultimately achieve the success you desire in placing your web
site at the top!
Try
our Meta Tag Generator!
