Meta Keywords
What are Meta Keywords?
Meta Keywords are specific tags within the HTML code of a webpage that provide search engines with a list of important words and phrases that represent the content of the page. These tags are placed within the <head> section of the HTML document. Historically, meta keywords were a critical factor in search engine optimization (SEO), as they were used by search engines to help determine the relevancy of a page to a user’s search query. The content of a meta keywords tag is not visible to visitors of the webpage but can be seen by search engines and those viewing the page source code.
Why are Meta Keywords important?
The importance of meta keywords has evolved over time. In the early days of SEO, meta keywords were crucial for ranking well in search engine results pages (SERPs). Webmasters and SEO specialists would often include a variety of relevant (and sometimes irrelevant) keywords in the meta keywords tag to try to improve their site’s visibility and traffic. However, due to widespread abuse and the practice of “keyword stuffing,” search engines, most notably Google, have significantly devalued the importance of meta keywords in their ranking algorithms. Today, meta keywords play a minimal role in SEO for most major search engines. Nevertheless, they can still provide value in specific contexts, such as internal search functions on a website or when optimizing for less dominant search engines that may still consider them.
How do Meta Keywords work?
The process of using meta keywords begins with selecting relevant and specific keywords and phrases that accurately describe the content and purpose of a webpage. These selected keywords are then inserted into the meta keywords tag in the page’s HTML code. Despite their reduced influence in major search engine rankings, understanding the correct use of meta keywords is essential for comprehensive SEO strategy. It involves a careful balance of relevancy and specificity without resorting to keyword stuffing, which can harm a site’s reputation and rankings.
Good to know about Meta Keywords
While major search engines like Google have publicly stated that they no longer consider meta keywords for ranking purposes, they are an example of how the SEO landscape evolves. This evolution underscores the importance of staying up-to-date with current best practices and search engine guidelines. In certain cases, improperly used meta keywords can lead to negative SEO consequences. For instance, excessively repeating irrelevant keywords can be seen as an attempt to manipulate search results, leading to penalties or lower rankings.