Meta Data Defined
Meta
data (or meta tags) are used by search engines as one component to help
categorize and index the content on your website. Meta tags consist of meta
title, meta description, and meta keywords.
- Meta
Title
is also displayed as the page title on your browser's tab when a page is
viewed on your website.
- Meta
Titles
and Meta Descriptions are used
by search engines as the summary of your web page when it comes up in a
search result.
- Meta
Keywords
are generally ignored by most search engines, so they have become obsolete
in this context. However, it is vitally important to utilize "keywords"
throughout your site in your page content, Meta Titles and Meta Descriptions.
Choosing Good
Keywords
You
will want to start by creating a list of keywords to use throughout your
website. It may be helpful to make an individual list for each page of your
site.
Some
resources to help you get started:
- Web
Stats Search Engine Data (if available) will reveal what keywords
and phrases visitors are already using to find your website in search
results.
- Keyword
Analysis/Planner Tool can help show you the search volume for various
keyword phrases, and suggest alternative phrases that may produce a better
response.
Tips
to consider when creating your keyword list:
- Include
multiple forms of your product/services - Along with using the specific
brand name of your products and services, also choose keywords and/or
phrases based on how your customer would think/search for your
products/services if they aren't familiar with your brand. (ie: "content
management system" or "editable website" along with the use of the product
name "WebFrame")
- Think
of synonyms and acronyms of your major keywords (ie: content
management system, CMS, web management system, editable websites, editable
web pages, etc.). This is where a good keyword analyzer or planning tool
will be helpful.
- Think
of geo-specific words pertaining to the area your business serves, only
if it makes sense with your marketing plan (ie: Bennington, Elkhorn, Papillion,
Omaha, Nebraska, NE).
Writing Meta Data
Once
you have your list of keywords, you can now begin to create titles and
descriptions for each page of your website, specifically targeting the content
on that page.
Meta Title:
·
Title
should be short and descriptive, containing a 5-7 word phrase about that page.
You may also include your company name and geographical information.
·
Incorporate
your top keywords in the Title - using the ones that best describe what that
page is about. Remember, the title is the name of your web page that appears in
the top bar of your browser window.
Meta Title Ex: "Website Design & Development | Responsive Websites |
Content Management"
Meta Description:
·
Meta
Description can be up to 250 characters, but search results will only display
up to the first 150 characters.
·
Incorporate
as many of your keywords as possible in the Meta Description that are relevant to
the content of that page. A description can be a summary paragraph, or snippets
of information.
Meta Description Ex: "Web Solutions Omaha offers mobile-friendly
responsive website design, website development, eCommerce websites, email
marketing and web hosting in Omaha, Nebraska utilizing WebFrame, our content
management system (CMS) to create editable websites for businesses."
Implementing Meta
Data
You
are now ready to learn how to optimize
pages on your website and optimize
catalog items by uploading this information to each page on your website.
Does this seem
overwhelming or too time consuming? We can help.
Web Solutions Omaha offers search engine optimization services. Contact us for a SEO
consultation and recommendation.
