Metatags: what they are and how to use them for SEO

When creating a website or e-commerce page, many technical aspects related to the HTML code must be taken into account. One of them is the inclusion of meta-tags , informative tags that are inserted in the code to provide information to search engine bots and the users themselves. 

With proper use of these elements, you can achieve greater reach for a website, since they are important for SEO .  

Índice

  1. What are metatags and what are they for?
  2. Tips for creating your metatags

What are metatags and what are they for?

 

Meta-tags are text strings that are inserted into the HTML code of a web page, online store or blog , and that offer information to users and Google bots or other search engines about the content and theme of the site. 

In SEO, meta-tags are an important tool to increase web traffic because they help Google to classify the website more easily and accurately in its ranking.

Keywords and short descriptions that refer to the content of the website are normally added to meta-tags . With this information, search engines find their job of analyzing and indexing or crawling the site easier.    

The most used meta tags that every web page or e-commerce must always include are the meta-title (where the title of the site is included) and the meta-description (where the objective of the site is explained).    

The main uses of meta-tags are:

  • Offer information to users about the theme and content of a website.

  • Improve the organic positioning of the site

Tips for creating your meta-tags

Meta-tags in HTML remain hidden from the user and are used by search engines to classify and display information on websites.

Below, we offer a series of recommendations to get the most out of meta-tags:

Include the main keywords

In web positioning, choosing keywords is an important process. The main keywords should be included in the meta-tags to make it easier for Google to add the website based on the selected keywords.    

Pay attention to the character limit

Meta-tags have a limited number of characters that they can use, something that must be taken into account when using them. For example, the title has a length of 55 characters, while for description this limit is longer, up to 155 words.  

Create unique meta-tags

Meta -tags for SEO are very important so it is important not to repeat them and create unique tags. Duplicating content can confuse Google, and even cause the website to be penalized in its positioning for duplicate content.    

Build meaningful sentences

It is common to use tools that generate meta-tags automatically (such as SEO by Yoast or All in One SEO pack). Although in some cases their use is justified and they become quite useful, it is best to create meta-tags manually , using phrases in natural language so that the user can understand them without effort (Google is also capable of understanding natural language ). 

Add goals to the beginning

It is best to include all meta-tags before publishing the page , so that Google has access to them the first time it accesses the site to index it. 

Meta-tags for Google are important for SEO . Including tags is a process that must be carried out taking into account the benefits they provide to inform users and facilitate the work of search engines in the indexing process.